Constellation - Night Sky !!

Vibrant Night Sky

Not sure how and what to write about this one.. It was a pure experiment with no intention, no expectation neither any plans on what I really want to do. There is a reason behind it.. While browsing through videos for cosmos or night sky, have come across many and by just looking at how its painted.. I never thought I would even try that.. mostly they were Oil and as I do not have a separate room for painting, I havent started Oil yet ! Secondly they were too tough even to follow ! Saw a video and was inspired again to pickup brush and draw a imaginary constellation on a black canvas

Still, One of the thursday evenings.. Picked up a 50x40 Canvas board and a picture for reference (found through google) and set off to paint a Night Sky painting. My daughter and son were interested to help me in painting, so took their help to paint a white canvas with Black & Gesso and set it to dry for few hours.. (Now both claim that this painting was done by 3 of us together)

I used a lot of Ultramarine & Phthalo Blue for background, Wanted to give a dark bluish still a blackish background with a clear hint of violet (used red and green mixture as I didnt buy violet paint till that time).. Then it was time for the central structure (which I dont know what to name as) I tried to be ON MY OWN to paint this one.. Did a streak of white & used bluish on the curves to give it a twisting feel.. Base was the toughest one and worked on it for at least half an hour and moved up and up to the top..

Stars was the easiest to do :) Used my daughters used brush.. dipped it in titanium white acrylic and sprayed evenly.. and it did give a good effect 

At the base, I wanted to draw a straight cliff and some pine tress on it.. All in Black, However the remaining part of the canvas was lot and it would have looked quite ugly if I had painted 40% of the canvas in black.. Cant do anything else too because in night sky, you may not see anything other than a black cliff :) 

So thought of painting some high mountains with a brownish and black shade, Fortunately mountains came well in first attempt (I am not good with mountains, somehow I dont get it !!) wanted to go on and on with some improvements but my first reviewer of paintings (my wife) opposed that Idea and advised not the screw up the one which looks good now ! 

So here is my first ever dark night painting ! 

AUM

AUM 

Long Awaited AUM on a canvas..

Even before I started this journey of painting, Always had a wish to draw a AUM which I can eventually use for meditation, Have read many books on meditation, have been to few sessions etc, but could never sit idle and do NOTHING !! 

When we were in India, I went in search of a sticker of AUM which I planned to stick to the canvas, paint around it and then take it out.. I didnt want to paint that rather paint the whole surrounding, Somehow did not find a big one.. so I had to paint it by myself

I did this on a 50x50 canvas board.. Primed it with Gesso & Titanium white, let it dry for few hours and started off with a clean orange across the canvas.. Then it was time for deep yellow to blend it with orange to give a glow ! Used a pencil to write AUM and once I was done with first round, it did look good but there was no 'grande' look.. As this AUM is now going through somewhat rough time in India (birthplace of Hinduism), Why not have it bit vibrant:) Thus.... here is what it became at the end.. 

I personally love this painting, It eminates a serence yet vibrance through mix of colors as well as sheer power of AUM

When I shared it with friends, one who lives in Frankfurt asked if he can have it :) Its hard for me to say NO to great friends and thus its now waiting to be framed and gifted to a great friend..  

Also happens to be my 21st Painting :) Good that it was AUM.. 

Pencil Drawings..

Pencil Drawings

I used to do pencil drawings right from childhood, if not very good.. I was doing it time to time and just as a time pass, never been serious on that and thus I even do not have those with me now :) which I did before marriage, After marriage.. my wife has been caring for those and here are some which I did to infuse interest of drawing to our son Naman.. these were done from 2008 onwards.. Simple pencil and drawing paper.. mostly A4 sizes.. 

I do plan to restart the pencil drawings once craze of paintings mellows down :)

For Amgele Ashray (Our home)

Amgele Ashray

After 20 days of superb vacation at home (seriously this was one of the best vacations ever as we didnt do anything :) we enjoyed family time all the days and complete Shrusthi at Anantheshwar temple after many many years) it was time for us to packup and start back to Berlin.. I was feeling bad that I did not paint one for our home which my mom has been hinting since the first painting, I said I will do it once I am back in Berlin..... But could read my Mom very well, she wanted one painting before we start to Berlin..

30th evening was our flight from Manglore, All bags packed.. only my painting kit yet to get into the last bag, 2 big canvas left (from my first day shopping in school book company), somehow I was not feeling good about packing painting kit without painting one for our home.... Surprisingly, Mom who is always eager to get packings done... was also supporting that idea.. so I started one on the biggest canvas board I have ever painted..  

When I shared this painting with some of my good friends who provide valuable feedback, one from UK said few great words about the meaning of this.. and I do agree with him.. While looking at this painting what it signifies (at least its my version and its my painting so ;) I do have a say) is that 2 birds are you and your spouse.. Your parents very near to you right on upper branch.... and the birds which are flying out are those whom you have helped, nurtured, thought how to fly and mentored all along.. they arent going too far, they are going to acheive something just like what you did years ago.. Bench is the place where you sat with your kids sharing them life lessons, teaching them how to be humans than being a rich person, sharing great stories from our rich culture... 

When I finished.. Amma and Aanu (Dad) were so pleased and very happy to give this painting a prime place in living room. Took around 90-120 minutes for this one (may be) let all brushes dry and packed them in bags and we were off to Berlin in few hours............ 

It is framed and resides in Amgele Ashray (Amgele = Hamara, Ours in konkani) Ashray is name of our home ! 

Lusiya, Lake, Sunset and A Big Tree...........

Movie and a Painting.... 

There is no explaination for the sense of satisfaction and greatfulness you feel when you are with your entire family.. Parents, Brother (whom I met with family at home after many years), 2 great cousins who are nothing less than own brothers, Mhaave all under one roof in Amgele Ashray.. What else you can ask for.. Eating great and delicious food from my amma's kitchen, laying around and then eat again and chat chat and chat all day..

One of the evenings, we decided to watch Lusiya - A Kannada crowd funded movie and I thought is it not a great idea to paint while we all watch a movie.. 

So picked up all my aayudhas (arms..) and set off to paint on a canvas board 40x30 with only acrylics and no other experimental stuffs.. 

Used Orange and yellow extensively and paused many many times to understand most complex movie in Kannada (at least whatever I have seen so far) and also to listen to nonstop comments (in favor of director) from my brother who happens to be one of the crowd funder of the project.... Sun came very well and tree could have been bit better, however ended it just when movie was coming to and end.. 

My brother framed it and took it to Banglore, Now its in Banglore.. I liked it.. and only few more days left in India and want to paint one for our home - Ashray, something which has deep meaning in it.. 

Some failed attempts !! No regrets though..

Failed Attempts ! 

These are 2 paintings which tried but did not get favourable result.. It was a learning on what NOT to do next time and doing it again ;))

1. Half Moon & Lake

This is purely from a youtube instruction, Instructions were so good and I thought it can be done easily.. While I could get somewhat good lake.. Moon and clouds were messy, I later realized that I shouldnt have used so much of gesso rather should have used acrylic paint itself.. However it was a failed attempt and goes into a box !! 

2. Full moon & Lake

While on vacation in India, Tried it again.. this time thought of making moon smaller (In India you dont get to see LARGE moon :)) Few major mistakes I committed are 

- Did not prime the canvas, Quality of Moon was bad ! didnt work on creating crators !! 

- Clouds were too bad, not sure why I was not able to get clouds right.. 

- Acrylic was not sticking to canvas and getting dry too fast because I left cieling fan ON (it was warm day)

- And may be many more.. which are unknown to me too.. 

But my brother says he liked it.. he took it !! He better keep it in cellar or some box !! 

Super Moon - 2nd try

Super Moon - 2nd Try.. 

We travelled to India for our vacation and wanted to carry some of my paintings to my home but didnt plan properly so was not able to pack them right.. so took all my armories (brushes, acrylic paints etc) so that I can paint at my home while on vacation.. 

School Book company in Manglore has excellent variety and great collection of canvas and painting supplies, so bought series of different size canvas boards

My Mhaave (Doddamma/Badi Mausi) was having her birthday in few days, All decided to give a surprise party to her.. She really liked my Super moon painting which I finished just before starting to India, so thought let me make a similar one but on a large canvas

So here it is.. took around 2 hours to complete this, one of the challenge I faced while painting at home was, Acryllic was getting dry too fast.. I couldnt smoothen the paints as easy as I could do it in a dry weather of Berlin, however learnt how to maneure those and could paint few during my vacation.. 

At least my Mhaave liked it very much and that gives a sense of satisfaction.. 

:) Bench comes again..