Geeta Dutt

Pencil sketch 8" X 10"

This is a portrait of Geeta Dutt, one of my favorite Bollywood playback singers of the past. Have been planning to draw her portrait for a long time and am pretty pleased with how it's turned out! These days I am  visiting my family and friends in India. I just carried my sketch pad and a few pencils. If I have the time, I will try to make a few more sketches.

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Bottle and Lime

Pastel on La Carte paper 5" x 7"

I wasn't sure of the red chilie I placed in my previous composition, so tried this one without it. 

Bottle, Lime and Spice

Pastel on La Carte paper 5" x 7"

This bottle has been with me for a while, waiting to be painted! Finally pulled it out and thoroughly enjoyed painting it. I will try to finish an oil painting I am working on over the next couple of days.

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Vishnu sculpture

Graphite 8" x10"

This is a pencil drawing of the Hindu God Vishnu.  It's from a red sandstone sculpture of the Gupta period   (about 5th century AD). Despite all the damage it has sustained, the form maintains perfect elegance.

This drawing takes me back to the days when I decided to make a serious commitment to art. My journey started a little over two years back, but at that time I had no idea where to go. A friend of mine, Soumitro Banerjee gave me the initial guidance, help and all the encouragement that I needed to spend endless hours slogging. The first year was all about improving my drawing skills. I moved on to other things after that, but somehow the pencil drawings still remain closest to my heart! 

Return of the lonely pear !!

Oil on panel 5"x 7"

Oil on panel 5"x 7"

I wasn't quite ready to move on to something else. So I decided to make the same paintings using oils. It's always interesting to compare the effects of different mediums. But now I think I really should leave the poor pear alone and look for something else!

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Demise of the lonely pear

Pastel on La Carte paper 4" X 6"

This is the third still-life in the series of the same pear. Finally decided to cut it up, and now I am ready to move onto something else! 

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Lonely pear strikes again!

Pastel on La Carte paper 4" X 6"

Another still-life painting of the same pear, this time with a warmer background and a different painting surface. Does the warm background make it look bright and happy? I think so!

More still-lifes to come. Should I make a pair for the pear, or something else? Keep visiting to find out!

Lonely Pear

Pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes touch  4"x 6"

This is a still-life painting of a Bartlett pear. The past month or so, I was very busy preparing my students for a music concert. On top of that, I was stuck with the large oil painting I just finished. Trying to get back, it almost felt like I lost my touch. Good way to brush up the skills is to work on small "still-lifes". So I decided paint this pear. Next I plan to make a few more of these. Stay tuned!!

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Shiva-Parvati statue

Oil on Canvas 24" * 36"

This is a painting of a 11th century statue of Shiva and Parvati. I pushed myself to make a large painting after a very long time. Usually, I paint small and tight. I don't think I have the patience to work big, so I will get back to the smaller ones that can be completed in a couple of days! And that way I can post on my blog more often too. Hope you keep visiting!!

Onlooker

Pastel on La Carte paper 8" X 12"

Photo Courtesy : Devajyoti Sarkar.

This painting is from a photograph taken by my friend Devajyoti Sarkar. I especially liked her expression, as if trying to look at something eagerly and wanted to capture it. And of course, the colorful Rajasthani outfits are always a joy to paint!

Birthday girl!

Pencil on Bristol paper 11" x 14''  

Pencil on Bristol paper 11" x 14''  

Today is my daughter Bela's birthday. She turned 8. I wanted to make her a portrait but have been so busy since yesterday that I could not even get started. I pulled out these two sketches I had made a couple of years back, one of when she was about 2 years old, and the other when she was 6. I haven't made any sketches of her since then. I think it's high time I did!

Buddha - charcoal drawing

Charcoal on gray  Canson paper  9" x 12"

I am planning to make a large painting based on the sculptures adorning the temples of India. For that I was browsing through my books on ancient Indian art and architecture. It is amazing how profound and beautiful works of sculpture were fashioned out of stone more than two thousand years ago. The craftsmanship is unbelievable! I keep looking at my books and hope some day I will be able to paint a series of Indian sculptures as a tribute  to those great craftsmen. 

Well, I still haven't decided which painting I am going to make, but last night I just though of making a charcoal drawing based on some of the Buddha sculptures of the Gupta period (around 400 AD). Buddhist art actually originated in India and then spread throughout Asia and the world. 

Thanks for visiting my bog. Hope you enjoy the drawing!