Celebrate Bandra!

The Times Celebrate Bandra Fest-November!!

Super-excited, curious and ready for fun, Sharda and I went a-looking for the Open Art Classroom at the Bandra Fest...armed with our brushes, paints and paraphenelia, we were ready to paint the world!!
After twenty minutes of a wild goose chase(in an auto risckshaw) and a blind hunt, we were convinced there was no art class whatsoever...but, we were not going home wihtout accomplishing our mission..we were ready to paint! 
Just then, lo and behold, Sharda caught a figure in a yellow shirt, with an easel..(God bless him for wearing yellow!!) and then there we found our familiar artists form Sanskar Bharati, seriously capturing the many boats and waves on their canvas and papers..
Soon, we were seated on the gravel, racing with the setting sun and the fading light..
A beautiful orange glow warmed our spirits and we were lost in out own world of color and water and paints..
Here, are two quick impressions of the evening... on sketchbook paper, size 8"x11", done in 15 minutes each:-))

Goa!

A memorable holiday at the Grand Hyatt, Goa with Bilal, Mom, Adil and me...an amazing location by the Bambolim Bay...we could hear the gentle lapping of the waves ..music to my ears..and the bay itself was so charming and absolutely spelt the colors of Goa!! So there i was, seated on the edge of the beach under a sun umbrella with my new Stillman and Birn sketchbook, (carried to india by dearest Bills), and I painted this chariming Bambolim Bay , in less than an hour!!

Bills loved it and has carried it with him to frame it and put it up in his study!! Am so happppppy!!

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Bambolim Bay'-en plein air

Watercolors in sketchbook

8"x11"

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The Grand Hyatt boasts of acres of landscaped gardens and lush greenery ,all by the Arabian sea...The swaying palms were hypnotic and mesmerizing ....I had to paint them as they swayed to the music created by the soft breeze under the gay Goan sunshine...!! 

Again, in my new Stillman and Birn sketchbook....

Swaying Palms'-en plein air

Watercolros in sketchbook

8"x11"

Far from the Maddening crowd...

Sunday morning!
Half the world waits for Sunday morning to laze around, to sleep till late..and here we were, restless to paint!!

Sharda, me and our teacher/artist, Amol sir decided to venture out to Borivali national Park to paint en plein air!!!

We braved it to the park in a rickshaw, but alas! rickshaws not allowed inside! so there we were hiking our way to one of the villages in the interior of this mammoth patch of green in the midst of the fast and furious speed of Mumbai city...

It was a beautiful morning, the sun at its best, shadows a dream for every cameraman and painter..and this village, neatly tucked away under a canopy of trees and its own private stream too:-)) 
What followed was a series of photos and a couple of paintings too:-))

 'All together' watercolros on Arches paper Size 12"x16"
Trees and greens at National park, Mumbai on a hazy morning..

'Under my tree'
A small village tucked under the mighty oak..
Watercolors on Arches aper Size 12"x16"

I personally feel these en plein air paintings could be better..it was very hot and rustic there and somehow these paintings only captured the haziness of the morning and the cool of the shade..
Well, again, another day...

Of course, the real adventure was sitting with Amol Sir on his bike to make our way back towards the gate as there were no buses or sign of any transport!!

Anything for painting!!

Goa Calling!

A Dream come true! Off we were for the painting holiday of a lifetime! Four days filled with painting and more painting and that too with the one and only, Milind Mullick, the Master of watercolors!!

I was first introduced to watercolors and Milind Sir himself in Pune in 2011...when by chance I met a group called Sanskar bharati, Pethe Sir and then Milind Sir..with Vilas Kulkarni...

Like hundreds of other watercolor enthusiasts I attended the beginner's course and sincerely practiced all the washes and other techniques..but it was Milind Sir who was the magician.....he made the brush dance in his nimble fingers, colours flowed smoothly and the paper obeyed every stroke made by the master..so it was with this awe and admiration that I set off for this holiday...accompanied by my friends, painting companions, Reena and Sharda , we boarded the early morning flight to Goa..what followed was sheer warmth and cheer and a lifetime of an experience:-)))

 'The White Church' Watercolors on Arches paper Size 12"x16"
St Sebastian Church, Fontainhas, Goa

A Quiet Corner-done in my sketchbook

at Panjim Inn, Fontainhas

This was a quiet green corner just outside our room in the lovely heritage Panjim Inn

Fonatinhas, Goa! It's in the heart of Panjim and yet takes your breath away and transports you to old time Portuguese style of homes and architecture. Color knows no limits here and purple houses mingle with yellow and blue and pink houses....worth a walk and a visit...

'From my window'

'From my window'
Sketchbook 9x11 inches

Well, here I was in a guest house, miles away from home, staring out of my window at the soft drizzling rain...when, suddenly the sun peeped out from behind the clouds and the picture changed...there was light on the trees and I sprang for my sketch book and paints...one hour to get dressed for work and here I was painting!!!

Painting foliage has always been challenging and even more so in watercolors....As an artist, I have been struggling with getting the foliage just right!!! and of course keeping the transparency alive...

I am quite happy with this attempt..and I think I paint better in my sketch book as I dont feel pressurized and stressed about wasting good paper:-)))

'Evening is Here'

Primarily I am an en plein air watercolor enthusiast...

I love the energy and vibes of an outdoor painting. Fortunately, Mumbai, and especially Bandra, is a wonderful palce to paint en plein air...
This was at Carter Road on a quiet evening, with the grey monsoon clouds looming over....

'Evening is Here'
Arches paper rough
Size 14"x16"
Transparent Artists Watercolors

'Come with me'

Here is my first post on my blog!! This picture of a stream in the Borivali N,ational Park was shared by my watercolor companion Sharda, and I fell in love with the fresh greeeeeeen colors and I had to paint it:-)))

This is on Arches Paper, Rough

Size 14"x16"

Transparent Watercolors