CREATIVE ART
I’ll be real with you – I’m no art expert, but I consider myself a self-taught artist. The concept of ‘art’ goes way back to when our prehistoric ancestors were doodling inside their caves (probably to pass the time, escape a nagging spouse, or simply make their mark on the world – who knows, right?). As far back as I can remember, I started sketching as soon as I could hold a piece of charcoal, mostly attempting to recreate the world around me with the skills I had at the time. I’ve dabbled in graphite, charcoal, watercolors, oil paints, but I can’t shake the feeling that I haven’t advanced much further than my ancient cave-dwelling ancestors! In today’s world, art only seems to matter if you know how to market it effectively. Some might say I’m not successful in this field, but that won’t stop me from creating more art. I want to leave my mark on the world, even if it’s just my humble attempt to exist.
Oil painting has always been my top choice for artistic expression. Despite being challenging to work with and requiring a longer drying time, its enduring quality makes it worth the effort. Take a look at this stunning hyper-realistic oil artwork as an example.
I’m really passionate about using Oil Paints for creating realistic portraits. The Kathakali dance of Kerala has always captivated me, and I’ve never missed an opportunity to capture those stunning performances on film. It’s truly a challenge to convey the complex emotions and intricate costumes onto canvas. I really hope that I’ve been able to do justice to these incredible artists. Below, you can see two of my portraits. The first one is a close-up of Kalamandalam Balasubrahmanian, the renowned Kathakali maestro, which I painted in 2002. The second one features Kalamandalam Vijayakumar [Champakkara Vijayan] in his stunning Kathakali attire, painted with painstaking attention to detail in 2014. It was truly a labor of love to capture the intricate details, from painting over 800 beads of his gold chain to achieving the fine texture of his silk scarf.
PORTRAIT OF KATHAKALI ARTIST (Kalamandalam Balasubrahmanian) : OIL PAINT ON CANVAS (24″X18″)
PORTRAIT OF KATHAKALI ARTIST (Kalamandalam Vijayakumar) : OIL PAINT ON CANVAS (24″X18″)
I can’t stray too far from the roots of art, which for me, started with sketching. Both charcoal and graphite are crucial for sketching, and I’ve dabbled in both mediums. I’ve included some samples from my collection. These crows’ expressions that I came across at the beach were captured on paper using charcoal pencils.
When I began drawing the beautiful sculpture of ‘DARPANA SUNDARI’, also known as ‘the lady with a mirror’ from Belur temple, I didn’t anticipate the level of difficulty it would entail. Nevertheless, I find the process extremely rewarding. Take a look at the result – it was quite the challenging yet worthwhile endeavor!
Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to mention Water Colors! Personally, I find it to be the most challenging medium, and even after years of experimenting, I still struggle with it. Sometimes, I feel that watercolor has a unique ability to capture emotions compared to other mediums. Take a look at a few samples below:
Hampi, the monkey kingdom, evokes various moods, and I could spend hours, days, or even weeks gazing into those magical frames there. This serene scene from Hampi used to immerse me in my dreams, and the only way to break free from it was to paint it. Here’s a humble attempt in watercolor:
The winding alleys of Varanasi felt so eerie to me. I used to have unsettling dreams about those crumbling doors, old rusty chains, and locks until I finally put them down on paper.
I wonder if I forgot to mention any other mediums. Oh, right! I could have also included some artwork using colored pencils. Here it is. And just so you know, don’t hold me responsible for the stink. Those sardines were rotten! Ha ha!
SARDINES FOR SALE : COLOR PENCILS ON PAPER (6″X8″)