@ Matheran III

     Well this is another painting of Matheran. It is an amazing place for long walks specially in the monsoons. Just put on your raincoats and walk off in any direction. It is paradise all around. Small road side stalls sell hot cups of tea and small eats. Just sit down there, chit chat, relax and start walking again when refreshed.

      Hope you all like this work. 

@Matheran II

     Well Matheran is one of the closest weekend getaways from Mumbai. It is also one of my favourite. It also happens to be one of the smallest hill stations in India. Its USP is that it is a vehicle free zone. The only vehicles permitted in this place are the ambulance and fire brigade. The only means of transportation are horses and hand pulled rickshaws. It is a paradise for trekkers. This painting was done from a picture clicked in my last visit there. Hope you all like it.

         Have a great week ahead.

Ujjayanta Palace @ Agartala, Tripura

     This palace was constructed in 1901 by the king of Tripura, Radha Kishore Manikya next to a lake surrounded by gardens. It was the royal palace till the accession of Tripura to the Indian union in 1939. It was then purchased by the Govt of India from the maharaja and converted into the state legislature. In 2011 it was finally converted into a state museum. It houses artefacts depicting the life, culture and craft of the people of north eastern India. In the evening it converts from a serene white building to a colourful one with the help of artificial lights.

     I had seen this palace from the outside long back when it was housing the legislature. This picture of the building in the new avatar took me by surprise and I could not resist the temptation of painting it. Hope you all also like it. Have a great week ahead.

Surat Shipyard

     Well I am in Surat again. This coastal town has many industries including a shipyard which is located where the Tapti river meets the Bay of Bengal. Used to see the shipyard everyday from a close by bridge while crossing the river. The massive cranes and the under construction ships looked so daunting. Wanted to see them up close but was not allowed to enter the shipyard. Finally decided to do the next best thing, paint it from a vantage point on the bridge. In the blistering summer heat, it was a tough task. Started the work plein air but finished it in the cool confines of my room.

     Hope you all like it. Have a great week ahead.      

@ Tawang

     During my IAF days I used to frequently fly to this beautiful town located at about 10000 feet in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in North Eastern India. It was a sleepy town then with a few monasteries which no one knew about. With the boom of tourism it became a tourist hub. It is a trekkers paradise. Infrastructure is inadequate but people wanting to visit offbeat destinations still love to visit. It is often in the news because of China laying claim to the area. The controversy is a legacy of the british days which is yet to be resolved. All this not withstanding, it is a peaceful place and worth visiting in any season.

     I hope this watercolor conveys the atmosphere I am talking about. Have a great week ahead friends.

Golf @ Pahalgam

       Golf on a bright sunny day is a pure ecstasy. That too if the course is located in the heaven on earth ie The Kashmir valley. Pahalgam is a beautiful resort town in the Kashmir valley. It has a beautiful course. Have never played on it but it is in my wish list. Right now contended with painting it in a quick minimalistic watercolor. Hope you all love it.

Dumas revisited.

     Since I came to know that Dumas beach was listed in the top haunted sites in the country, my curiosity forced me to revisit the place. The beach looked very normal inspite of all the stories doing the rounds. I finally decided to take a stroll around the village. The very normal looking village had some surprises in store. In one of the by lanes I came across this bungalow. It was very old and very dark. The rear looked as if about to collapse. The woodwork was actually falling apart. Thick trees and an unkempt garden surrounded it. No body seemed to be living there. But the gates were all locked. It was really spooky. All the stories suddenly came back like a flash. Really wanted to explore the property but decided to do with a quick photograph. The photograph looked interesting enough to paint. So here it is. Hope you find it spooky enough!!

Fly Helicopters Paint Helicopters

     This was a request from one of my friends who has been providing me umpteen subjects from the beautiful state of Jammu & Kashmir through his lenses. He flies this helicopter, and his wife who herself is an artist, wanted me to paint it for them. A rare honour indeed. Gave it my best and am happy with the result. Hope you all like it. 

     Have a great week ahead.

Konkan railway @ Doodhsagar

     The Indian western coast is flanked on one side by the Western Ghats, a hill range covering the entire coast line. The hills are covered with thick forests and heavy rainfall is the norm. The Konkan rail line, as it is called was constructed along this hill range. This is a beautiful and scenic journey which will mesmerise anyone. It has 91 tunnels and over 2000 bridges.The construction of this line was a real challenge. The tunnels had to be dug through loose soil. There was no technology available in the world for this and much of the work had to be carried out manually. The frequent cave ins and landslides claimed 19 lives. It was completed in six years in 1998.

     The picture I have painted here is the train arriving at the Doodhsagar station. 'Doodhsagar' is a waterfall (the tallest in India) which means 'sea of milk', The fine spray of the fall creates a feel of white milk with the hills in the backdrop. The train chugging in through the spray is a breathtaking sight. I hope I have been able to capture the atmosphere and you get motivated to visit this place. Trust me you will not regret.

     Have a great weekend.

Kasturchand Park @ Nagpur

     I am presently in the Orange city of Nagpur in central India. Am here on an official trip. What better way to spend an otherwise lazy Sunday than painting. Got in touch with an artist friend who paints with a group on sundays. They were all getting together at this lovely park in the heart of the city- Kasturchand Park. 

     This is a huge park which is used for all kind of get togethers. It has a large pavilion in the centre which is used for religious functions. There was a large circus tent pitched in the background. Morning walkers and cricket crazy children thronged the place. We sat down on one side for our share of fun. About three hours was all that we spent. By my standards it was quick work. Hope you all like it.

     Have a great week ahead.

Paradise Lost

     The Kashmir valley is considered a paradise on earth. It is nature at its best. Mythology says that the whole valley was a lake long back. Sage Kashyapa is said to have drained the valley by cutting the mountains near Baramulla. We do not know how far this story is true but a beautiful lake still exists there... The Dal lake. The house boats of this lake are a favourite with the tourists. The same valley is facing unprecedented floods. Hundreds have lost their lives. People are struggling. Many have lost all their worldly possessions. Though the waters have started receding slowly, it will take ages for normalcy to return. This is a painting of the famous Dal lake and its house boats. Hope you like it. Also do not forget to say a prayer for all the affected people.

@ Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

     Sanjay Gandhi National Park of Mumbai is one of the few reserved forests in the world, located  right in the middle of a city. In fact it is called the green lung of the much polluted Mumbai city. It has lions, tigers, leopards and hyenas besides monkeys and many species of birds. Lions and tigers are in a cordoned off area but leopards roam around freely. At times their interests do clash with humans but then this is the case all over the world. I love going for a jog in this park. Not to worry, I am not alone. There are many like me. It is so peaceful away from the hub bub of the city. This morning was not feeling like jogging so did the next best thing... carried my painting kit along, sat next to a stream and did this quick fire work. Hope you like it.

Coasting in @ Gadimoga

     I am operating from a helidrome called Gadimoga on the east coast. It is right next to the point where the river Godavari merges into the Bay of Bengal. Flying to offshore oil rigs during the monsoons can be quite tricky. One just wants to hit the coast as soon as possible. This was a sight I saw while returning back from one sortie. Sunlight sneaking in through the dark clouds and the river Godavari lit up with the light. Oh what a sight it was. How I could I not steal some time out of my study schedule for this. It is a quick fire work with some broad wet in wet washes. It was well worth the time spent.      

Need a break.

     Have been extremely busy flying and preparing for an exam in addition. Absolutely no time for painting or blogging. But today something inside me said 'enough is enough'. I need a break. What a break. What you see here is the result of that break. Am feeling absolutely fresh for the next session with my books. Do you feel the same when you paint? Hope you all like this. 

Mustard?

     Vast expanses of mustard fields or for that matter sunflower fields are always a treat  to watch. Had painted one a long time back but wanted to do it again. Did this with the help of some reference pictures. Hope you all like it. Have a great week ahead.         

@ Matheran

     Matheran (It means 'Forest on the Forehead') is the smallest hill station in India located in the Western Ghats. Discovered by Hugh Poyntz Malet, a Britisher in 1850, was developed by the then Governor General as a retreat to beat the heat during the summers. 

     About 10 years back it was declared an eco-sensitive zone and made vehicle free (the only one in Asia). The only motorized vehicles that enter the town are a narrow gauge railway train  and ambulance run by the town administration. Transportation is by hand pulled rickshaws and horses. The streets have been made horse friendly- paved on the sides and unpaved in the centre to avoid injury to the hooves of the horses! It is a trekkers paradise. There are so many trails that you can take off on. The thick forest cover keeps you cool at any time of the day. It is a dream for riding enthusiasts. The elderly can avail the hand pulled rickshaws. Game any one !!!

Miles to go before I sleep...

     We are fortunate to have all kinds of terrain in India. The western region has a large desert called the Thar desert. As military aviators we used to fly very low at times. In such terrain there is no fear of any high-rises or invisible cables as there is only sand and sand for miles. This was a scene I had come across a long time back and was etched in my mind. Finally decided to put it to paper with the help of some reference pictures. 

     Hope you like it. Have a nice weekend.

     

@ Porbandar: In search of The Mahatma.

    

     I am back in Porbandar where the flying schedule is a little relaxed. This happens to be the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi. A small museum has been made around the humble abode where he was born. What caught my eye was this grand old arch way just next to his home. This is about 150 years old and happens to be the heart of the town. Am sure Gandhi must have played in this square as a kid.  Would he ever have thought that his statue would adorn the same place in times to come ! 

     Painting this was fun. Hope you like this little piece of history. And yes... I am sorry I go missing from my blog at times and fail to appreciate the good work being done by my good friends. It is not intentional but work pressures do overtake you at times. Hope you will forgive me.

Gladioli

     Well again there is no background or story behind this painting.... Just pure love for these lovely flowers and colours.
     Have a nice weekend.

Seagulls

     Wanted to paint a sea-scape. Found an interesting picture on the net. It was fun painting the waves... one of those times when I did not want to try too hard and let the picture emerge of its own free will. The painting came out nice but some how it looked lifeless. the waves just did not have the life that I wanted. As an after thought I decided to add the sea gulls. It immediately brought life into the barren sea. What do you think ? At least I felt so, and decided to honor them by calling the painting 'Seagulls'