Tulail @ Gurez Valley, Kashmir

     A shabby signboard, about 30 km from Gurez reads 'Welcome to the Heaven on Earth". This whole valley, located on the fringes of the Indian controlled Kashmir, remains cut off from the rest of the world for about six months in a year due to heavy snowfall. In the midst of the mountains, are located these log houses of mud and brown colour. This, the locals say, is the identity of Tulail. In summers this place becomes a sight to see. Mountain sides of lush green meadows, interspersed with pine trees, an odd stream trickling down, all add to the beauty of the place. The people of this valley can trace their lineage to Afghanistan and Iran. It is only recently that they have opened their doors to the outside world and modern education. 

     Really enjoyed painting this. Hope you all like it. Have a great week ahead.

Cottage behind the Pines.

     The Srinagar valley is called the 'Paradise on Earth'. It is an artists paradise too. Any side you turn your head, there is a landscape waiting to be painted. Had flown in that area before the advent of digital cameras and I did not possess one. Was not seriously hooked on to watercolors also in those days. Keep wondering how wonderful it would be to traverse the interiors of this beautiful region with my watercolours. A great friend Indranil Bhattacharya, happens to be flying in that sector and gave me a chance to revisit the place through his lenses. His clicks happen to be next best to seeing the place live. He kindly gave me a blanket consent to paint whatever I liked.

    This pic of a wooden cottage with huge french windows, behind some pine trees caught my attention. The chairs under the pines looked so inviting. Wish the owners invited me for Kahwa (Kashmiri tea). Well someday. Keep dreaming n keep painting.

Abandoned @ Rajahmundry

     I am in a town close to the east coast, called Rajahmudry. It is a very old town named after a king called Rajah Mahendravaram. It is called the cultural capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is said that the Telugu language originated here. It is full of tidbits of history. Just outside my hotel, on a hillock, saw some old abandoned bungalows. Was told that they dated back to the British times. Wanted to explore them but the road leading to the top had disappeared in thick shrubs. There was actually no way to reach the top. Finally sat down in a parking lot at the base of the hillock and did this plein air work. I think I did manage to catch the atmosphere and hope you all like it.

Fly Helicopters, Paint Helicopters.

     Well, as usual have been missing from the cyberspace for some time. Was busy with flying commitments and the exhibition which went off well. Finally managed to complete a request which had been pending for quite some time. My friends usually request paintings of helicopters. But this one came with a rider... The Umaid palace as the backdrop. This gentleman had emotional attachments with this place as he had commanded a helicopter unit here. And I believe art is incomplete without emotions. Had to take up the challenge. The composition was difficult as there was no ready reference material. Getting the angles and the perspective correct proved to be a herculean task. After numerous failures managed to get it right. Hope you like it.

     Oops, forgot the history bit. This palace was constructed by the Maharaja of Jodhpur. The architect was a British gentleman Henry Vaughan Lanchester. The construction started in 1929 and finished in 1943. But with Indian independence in 1947 and the Maharajas losing their seats of power and their purses, they found the upkeep of this property difficult. Presently a section is the private residence of their descendants and the major part is a five star hotel. Those of you who want a taste of the luxuries of the erstwhile maharajas of India, must try this out.

Kanheri Caves @ Mumbai

     Sanjay Gandhi National Park is the only reserved forest located in the middle of a bustling metropolis. Hidden inside this reserved forest are these ancient Buddhist caves. I was surprised that many residents of Mumbai do not know about these caves.

     These caves date back to the 1st century BC. There are a total of 109 caves in all. Most of these caves are viharas or place to live, study and meditate. The larger ones were Chaityas or halls for congregational worship. They are dotted with Buddhist sculptures and reliefs. By 3rd century AD it had become a major seat of Buddhist learning. 

      It was one of those rare occasions when I had some time to try out Plein air work and could not find a better subject. Hope you like it and do plan a visit to this place. I offer to be your guide!

Times Square

     I was generally bored with painting my usual landscapes, or as Ron Morrison says 'Landscraping'. Was looking for something different. My friend AD Roy had just returned from the US and was literally forcing me to see all the photographs he had clicked. This picture of The Times Square, 42nd street, New York caught my attention. I had never painted a night scene in watercolors. Decided to go ahead and give it a try. This made my friend AD also happy and I could get rid of him for some time (pun intended). I believe, he is ready and waiting with his next set of pics!

Good Morning Nile - 2

     The Nile, as I have mentioned earlier, has many interesting facets. At places it has ferocious rapids and at places it can be very calm. In Jinja (Uganda) it's banks are mostly covered with thick vegetation. Both sunrise and sunset are beautiful, if you have the time to wait and watch. I have already explored a sunrise scene earlier on this blog. This is a follow up of the same sunrise some time later though at a different spot. The mist clearing up, calm waters disappearing into infinity, the sun rising, its light playing tricks with the leaves of the thick vegetation...it was a breathtaking scene. I was more or less satisfied with the results. What do you think?

The Lions of Rwindi

     Got a chance to visit the Virunga National Park on the Congo Uganda border. Was hosted by some friends at a small place called Rwindi earlier famous for a lovely forest resort (now in ruins). Could not go empty handed. What better gift than a small watercolor of a Lion......Rwindi is famous for its ferocious lions. These lions are not used to humans like in many parks of the world. I think it was a good omen. We were rewarded by a nocturnal visit by four lionesses. We were surrounded by more than 300 shivering antelopes and the predators at some distance. It was so surprising, the normally shy antelopes, knew very well that as long as they stayed close to humans the lions will not dare attack...and they were correct. After a 45 minutes stand off the lionesses left. Survival of the smartest!!!

Good Morning Nile

     Around Jinja, the course of the Nile is really interesting. At places it is calm and quiet and at places it narrows down, gains current and makes some really ferocious rapids. The character of the river changes with the time of the day also. Had a chance to walk on its bank early in the morning. This spot caught my eye. The calm waters were suddenly gathering speed. The rocks were forcing the water to make some interesting patterns. The morning mist over the calm waters in the background was making everything fade away. Overall it was an interesting picture. Do let me know if you feel I have been successful in capturing the scene in this watercolor.

Heart in Mouth

     Ever tried white water rafting ? That too in the Nile! Let me assure you it is a fantastic experience. The most exciting part is when you hit the rapids. Exciting - of the 'Heart in Mouth' kind!!! At this point the raft is mostly out of control. You are hoping like hell that it does not overturn. To tell you frankly it is a relief when the rapid ends.  This pic was clicked by the life guard who was ahead of us and attracted my attention. To tell you frankly again, through-out the painting process this one was mostly out of control with my heart in my mouth. I tried every trick in the trade- sponging, masking, plastic wrap, splashing, spattering...to capture the white waters in action. When I finished, it was actually a big relief. But believe me both the rafting and the painting were fun!

Kivu Revisited

     Another weekend. Another weekend outing. All outings in this place revolve around Lake Kivu. Resort Kivu Serena is an ideal and favourite spot with all friends. Carried my watercolours along. Good I did. It was a really windy day and it was actually difficult to swim. But it was an ideal day for surfing and sailing. All the catamarans and surf boards were out. The catamarans in the foreground and Lake Kivu with the hills in the distance as the backdrop made a lovely subject. All in all, a fruitful outing.

Kathakali

Kathakali is a traditional dance form from India. Costume and Make-up are given a lot of importance in this dance. The colours used for the same are bright and eyecatching. When a dancer is ready for his performance, he is a sight to behold. From top to bottom he appears to be made up of interesting patterns. I have tried to catch the essence of the same in this watercolour. The subject has been treated in a semi- abstract style. The wave patterns in the background have been added to give the subject a sense of motion.

Scream

      Many of us have often stood and admired the colours that a sunset sometimes throws up. We feel lucky if we manage to capture it through a camera or colours as in this case. I was also trying the same. However I made one mistake- I picked up a drink while painting this one and it was one too many even as I was just half way through. The philosopher inside me woke up! 'He' asked me the reason or logic for this extravaganza at the last minute. I had no clue. "This is the final scream before the final moment. The end is nigh, the end of a dream. All the colours together make the 'White Light'. At this time they all start falling apart. A dream falling apart. This is a 'Scream' of anguish of not being able to last forever" he said.

Mystery

       In the Great African Rift Valley there are a number of huge lakes. Lake Kivu is one of them. However inspite of being one of the biggest and deepest fresh water lakes of the world it has no marine life. It is because of a huge store of carbon-di-oxide and methane at its mysterious bottom. Scientists have said that in case of a phenomena called lake overturn, the carbon-di-oxide will gush out and all life on the banks of the lake will also be destroyed due to suffocation. There happen to be a number of towns and villages all around the lake! Am I scaring you? Anyway it is a blessing to have an opportunity to fly in this great continent. It has been well endowed by  mother nature and so many of its mysteries have not yet been solved.
       This is a painting made from an aerial shot taken by me of lake Kivu. Watercolour was the best medium to capture the mystery of this great lake. I want to paint a series on Africa. Wish me luck.

Lonely

The source of the White Nile is in Lake Victoria near a place called Jinja in Uganda. While proceeding to the source in a boat we came across a lone tree on a platform in the middle of the river. The evening light was playing tricks with the leaves. The reflection in the water was mesmerising. On the whole it made a challenging  subject.

Valley of flowers

Flowers have always fascinated me. The riot of colours that a vast expanse can create is mindblowing.

Christmas-2

These flowers are popularly known as Christmas flowers. They bloom during this period. This subject was picked up from a book on Indian flowers.

Gisenyi-3

December is a nice sunny month in these parts. Swimming in lake Kivu was fun. Painting this view from the resort Kivu Serena was even more fun. Was rewarded with free beer by the management!!

Gisenyi-2

This roadside foliage in a resort called Yekes gave me another subject for my watercolours

Gisenyi

Gisenyi is a nice little town in Rwanda. It is dotted with resorts along lake Kivu. On a visit to a small resort called Paradise I came across this dense foliage near the entrance. It made a nice subject for this watercolour.