Day 16 (Friday): Mask continues...

So. I crossed that half mark! 14 more days before I have this new habit.

Lately I thought a lot about what one of the smart bloggers shared about their passion towards their work and how they get what they dreamt of. Its quite interesting, intriguing, and inspiring. You start with Yes, yes, yes. That's what I believe in too, but you said it better! And end up with some happy fuzzy feeling of approval and encouraged to deliver even better & more delightful.

I would like to be like that. To encourage others and keep learning along the way.

Happy weekend!

Day 15 (Thursday) : Oil Painting - Mask

To play around with the colors, you have to, well, play with the colors.

Bold juxtaposed against pale create the necessary drama, giving character to both ends of the spectrum. This one is more or less on these lines.

And I read. 
 

Day 13 and 14 (Tuesday and Wednesday): Portrait Study

There is not much to report really.

Practiced on the 18 x 24 sketch pad. Just like old times, I say! Love the way it liberates our creativity to draw with your entire arm, not just fingers or wrist.

And well, these ideas...I literally had trouble sleeping with so many of those coming at me at once. All for good!

Looking forward to the new day!

Day 12 (Monday): Plum Tree on Hillside Finished

I started a new charcoal sketch study. There was not much time available, but some progress can be registered nonetheless.

• Bigger canvas is better 
• Try to have things ready so that the studio time can be focused on the real work
• Plan ahead. I cannot stress the importance of this bullet-point enough!
• A discovery - Alizarine crimson is maroon!

Day 11 (Friday): Oil Painting - Plum Tree on Hillside

I worked on a landscape.

Its actually a preparation for those real ones that I had been planning all along. In this attempt, I made a glass palette, which is rather makeshift, but seemed to work just as well! I used my first brush washer. Experimented with the color mixing and value shifts.

I also made a cutout wheel to go with the Munsell wheel. Can't wait to put it to use in a project.

Day 9 and Day 10: Charcoal Portrait Practice

Day 9:

I could not resist giving finishing touches to the one I started. A few turned into quite a lot. I mean, I felt like spending more time on this one before calling it finished.

Day 10:

I repeated another one that I practiced a little while back. Some changes, smoothing rough edges, applying what I learnt. Finished a self portrait.

Day 8: Charcoal Portrait

Sometimes you need to follow the rules, but mostly, you should let your inner artist take the lead. Its the real you!

It helps you see what you love about your subject. A human face in this context. Is it the nose? Or eyes? Or smile - which is rare when your model is posing for you, but from picture, sure. If you can capture that special something that you appreciate, your work reflects it - effortlessly.

Today I made a mistake. I didn't have the work planned ahead of time. So, at the work hours, I was hard pressed to select and execute. I entered the studio with vague ideas and when I settled down, I wasn't sure if I wanted to open a sketch book, paint box, palette, or set up the easel! 'Disaster!' I thought aloud. This is what I promised to myself, to plan next day's work and here I was with blank as clear as my white gessoed canvas!


Have no time to waste and work on something that is necessary, I told myself. What if I had gone to an arts class knowing nothing about what the instructor would ask us to draw? Well, it wasn't all that hypothetical to imagine. I mostly encountered this in the arts class. Going in there with no clue about the subject of the class. "It will be drapery today!", The instructor would say and set up a green chenille sheet inside out with lots of enhanced folds to draw.

I had to gather all my senses to understand where should I start from!

So, today was kind of like that. Bingo! That immediately started to straighten the mental clutter. Be that person and dictate! Choose something as your assignment of the day. Anything! And that person chose portrait!

Okay then! Portrait it was. Luckily, I had a reference photo and to save the day! I stared and finished within 3 hours.I am glad to report that it did come out well.



What started as an ill-planned work day, ended on a happy note. But I hope not to make it a practice. No sir!

Day 7: Landscape from Picture

Garden Scene from picture is finished and is sent out of the studio.

It presented a good number of learning opportunities. Here is a summary:

• To create a backyard garden scene, I planned to use a limited palette. To my amazement, that still didn't limit the spectrum of hues. Who would have thought that! There are atleast a dozen different shades of green in between the few steps of value gradation. :-)
• All you need is a few strokes. The more you drag, the less impact it makes.
• I finally understood what it means to see your painting before you bring your brush to the canvas. 
•  I need more paint and bigger canvases. 

There is a thought on the timing. Sometimes all you need is, a push. Just a teeny tiny one. And you set out like a car on auto-drive. But how about the times when you need little more than that to keep your momentum. Well, we will see.

Day 6: Landscape for value study

I began the study of values,  using oils.

For this, I chose a canvas that bore the reminiscent of an earlier incomplete plein-air painting. I remembered a classmate from art class who reused canvases. He had come from China to study here to earn a name in west. I am sure, he was trying to keep his ways frugal. His work is brilliant and copying his habit, more environment friendly than artistic - made me feel somewhat more of a serious beginner!

There was no need to cover the backdrop as the first layer was already laid. Squeezing most of the work in the available time seemed hard and I have this half done work here. Hopefully, it will be finished tomorrow.

Day 5 - Oil Portrait

Not sure if I like it. Yet. But let's call it a work in progress. A baby step in the right direction.

It was worth the time spent. I had come to realize:

• Putting down all the colors is first step, blending is next. No exceptions.
• Cool shadow is different than warm shadow. Purple vs. orange, remember?
• Just the right number of strokes, no less, no more. Period.
• Try your best but also, learn to be kind when your work doesn't measure up.

Day 4 - Oil Painting

Okay, so finally I have come to oil. After a few weeks of warm-up, the brushes are out and the tubes are being squeezed out. I had forgotten how hard it is to unscrew a paint cap after months of storage. It almost amazed me how much paint a brushstoke takes. After relishing these initial hiccups, I jumped right at the work.

It helps to plan, especially when making time is more than a luxury.

I chose a simple subject to paint. The work of the artist Patty Baker had been procured a while ago. I just copied one of her paintings. Looks good. She is very inspiring and her usage of cheery colors can brighten any room, and day!

Homework is done! I have a free weekend. :-)
 

Day 3 - Charcoal Portrait Finished

"Do something for 30 days and it becomes a habit." - Unknown

Keeping a log for thirty days seems like a good start. This is sort of bringing me to form a new habit. I am finally able to devise a course plan and trying to score good in it. Well, see the beauty of being your own boss!

You can get an A, when you like it. Oh, and it's easier said than done. Then again, we stick to the plan and see how it becomes a habit. So, with this on our side, we conquered day 3 and finished what we started last day.

• Gave finishing touches to the charcoal portrait. Realized, I need to work on values even more.
• The  suggestions for the likeness*, space usage , and proportions** were used.
• Finished it off with touch of fixative
• Good to have a homework

** Andrew Lumis

I realized it would help to push me better if I had some homework and assigned it to myself there and then. What's more, I even started to prepare for it too.

Day 2 - Charcoal Portrait Started

Not sure why my last post is missing from the blogosphere!

I can no longer recall exactly what was on that post. Ummm, that's not very effective! Okay so, let me take a moment and see.

I think, the last post was about the first day. Actually, that Isn't very brilliant given this post is titled Day 2. So, I guess, it was on what I did for that bigger goal. I read. And I am quite glad that finally I understood the theory behind the value, intensity, hue and temperature.

Reading counts.** But its the doing that impresses the understanding better. Its like, confirming by testing it yourself. So, that was something left for the next day.

I am convinced that if heart truly desires something, that thing inevitably becomes accessible .

• Define expectation clearly to see the outcome clearly.
•  Give it a timeline and work smart. Hard work is essential, naturally. 
•  Make sure you enjoy every part of the journey, otherwise its a chore. And this chore, in turn, makes the next step even a harder chore.

That was pretty much about the first day. getting back to day 2.

I practiced drawing. A charcoal pencil portrait. Worked good on marking the edges, its where the artistic eye comes handy. Worked on values.

 ** Margaret Kessler's Color Harmony

Ideas - the source of everything creative

"The hardest part of any journey is taking that first step." - Unknown

The First Step

While getting back to reading, writing, painting, or anything you love should not be hard, its easier said than done. I wish I could pinpoint the day or the time or the thought that held be from the corner of my shirt and made me stop in my track. Now that, I say it aloud here, I think I can backtrack the chain of events that made me realize the power of ideas. I mean, really what it is.

Is this the same wisdom that proverbially comes with age?

Or even at more profound level, called enlightenment. Whatever this is, its extremely pleasant. Like finding a hundred dollar bill in the inside pocket of the jacket that you so wear often but don't care to check. I mean it was there alright, but it made you happy when you finally owned it!

I know it may sound slightly disconnected at the time, but I have come to realize the timing is really the key between the good and truly refined!  And it is almost divine to have a combination of the life changing idea and the luxury of right timing to atleast jot it down for accomplishing that idea. If I could do that, I would consider it a huge success to get my first step in the right direction.

The Clarity of Thought
  
No matter how good your intentions are and how resourceful you may be, if you don't act at the right time, its all for nothing. As I progress here, unraveling the chain of thoughts, I am finding things more and more incoherent as opposed to what I initially had in mind. It has to go.

So, here is a start over. Some bullet points, some random ramblings and then getting back at ironing out the kinks of expressions and elaborating  for myself and whoever comes along for the ride. Fasten your seatbelts!

 
Here goes

• Write down the ideas. All of them. 
• Smile
•  Be yourself. You are you, because of your past. Accept it and try to make the best out of it for the future 
• Every day is not just a new day. It may be the beginning of something special, so treat it with respect. Please, don't waste a single moment.
• Keep the thoughts in the right prioritized manner. What good is a genius idea that is left unexpressed.
• Work with focus, determination, and with the expectation of the best.
• Just do it, when you know, you can!   

Have Maturity, Display It 

Know what you want. Write it down.
How would you know what you want if you haven't known. Like, how would you know strawberry is your favorite fruit unless you have eaten it! 

Ummmm, wrong metaphor?


Wait, here is what I am trying to say. If you don't know where you want to go, how would you reach there? Okay, this is better. 

Ask Yourself

• What do you want to accomplish in 5 years, 1 year, 6 months, 1 month, a week, a day. Right now?
• If not now, when
• Are different dreams mutually exclusive?  I hope not, otherwise, its gonna be hard, if not downright infeasible.

Label of the New Post

As I start off the new dream, which has to be shared here sometime soon, I have chosen to keep the progress log public. By baring, I hope to keep myself motivated and energized. Also, I hope this will take me an inch closer to my goal everyday.

 

Running running and more running

Ever woke up with an idea and the excitement to do something with it, mostly on the lines of accomplishing what you just had in mind?

I do. Everyday. Except there is not just a single light bulb, its always a chandelier of bulbs, something similar to the builders' grade chandelier. Or like a tangled web of threads, with some ends hanging loose, others just barely showing in knots here and there. Or more like a flood! A dozen or so ideas hit me, each one fighting for attention for the day.

To be continued...

Knitter Quitter

I almost not knit anymore.

But a very lucky friend chose to delight us with the best news of the year. She was going to have a baby!

Opportunity of baby knit knocked! So, let's just say, I quit knitting but knitting didn't let me. Grabbed me and didn't let me go until I finished that baby clothing - sweater, booties and hat. So, I told myself I was done.

And as any knitter would tell you, you just can't stop at one. That's almost unethical in the religion of knitting. So flew my needles and there was one more! Yes, the whole set - sweater, booties and hat.


Well, I forced myself to stop there. Really! But there was this last skein of stash left in the bag. And you can't be heartless to leave it there without turning it into a wearable. Think about the poor yarn. So. I had to crochet a scarf. I didn't even try but it got made. Like a miracle.

I tell you, I am finally done for this season. Until next project!

Eggless Banana Raisin Cake

Ingredients

AP flour 2 c
B Soda   1.5 tsp
Salt         1/2 tsp
Sugar       1 c
Oil            1/4 c
Bananas   4 (ripe, mashed well)
Milk         1/4 c
Cardamom 4 - 6 ground
Raisin      handful

Method

1. Mix AP flour, baking soda and salt
2. Mix rest of the ingredients together
3. Mix 1 and 2 above
4. Grease the baking dish and pour the mixture
5. Bake as per your oven setting
6. Let it cool for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Cardamom Cinnamon Eggless Cake

All set to start

  

 Ingredients:

AP flour 1.5 c

Yogurt    1c

Sugar      3/4 c

B soda     .5 tsp

B powder 1.25 tsp

Oil            1/2 c

Cardamom 3-4

Cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp

Mix sugar and yogurt
Add b. soda and  b. powder to above mixture

Remove peels and make the powder of the cardamom seeds

Cardamom powder

Cinnamon powder

Add flour, oil & both powders
Mix everything well

Grease the baking dish and pour the mixture in it

Set the oven at 250 and bake for 35 min

The cake is ready when the tester inserted in the middle comes off clean.
Let it cool for atleast 20 minutes.
Cut into pieces and enjoy.

Janmashtami

This day we celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna.

The day also marks the unofficial beginning of the festivals of the Fall and Winter.

Happy Rakhi

May the bond grow thicker for all those celebrating.