Older than history

There is something changeless and eternal about the Ganges at Varanasi. Mark Twain is supposed to have said, "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

That's how the river looks too, and the sky, at Benares.

This one is again a large painting, 3 feet by 4 feet, oil on canvas, part of the solo art show at my exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.

On view till the 1st of November.

A surprise treasure

A mud hole in arid areas of Rajasthan, or a large crater lake in Lonar, Buldana District, Maharashtra: I guess an aerial view would look a bit like this:

What a surprise it is to suddenly find a treasure house of clean water, in the middle of parched land! This painting shows such a precious find of clear, cool water. It is a 30" X 30" oil on canvas painting. 

Smooth brush strokes have been used to paint the water, and knife and palette work is used to show the different texture of the surroundings.

On display at my ongoing exhibition at the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi till the 1st November.

How Green was my Valley

"How green was my valley then, and the valley of them that have gone." -  Richard Llewellyn, How Green Was My Valley.

This one is a tribute to all such memories, of calm skies, green valleys, peaceful times. It is a 3 feet by 4 feet, oil on canvas,

On display right now, at my exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, Gallery 4, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, till the 1st November.

Ganges at Rishikesh

It is in the region of Rishikesh that the Ganges leaves the mountains and spreads out on to the plains. I feel the river slows down here, and is cruising along singing quietly to itself.

Well, this painting is inspired by this "feel" of mine:

Rishikesh is quite a center for Yoga, Ayurveda, and several healing practices. I am sure what people come most to get healed by, and carry a memory of, is the soothing presence of the river, specially on the ghats, and during the evening prayers.


This painting among others is part of my on-going exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi.




For those of you, who have missed the invite earlier, I am adding it here again. If you are in Delhi-NCR, do come over:

Flotsam and Jetsam

I have been busy completing paintings for my upcoming exhibition at The Lalit Kala Akademi. Hence the lull in blog entries.
All the compositions are inspired by the patterns of flowing water.

Water itself forms fascinating patterns, whether we are watching waves on a sea shore, the running water in a creek, or like a little child, stirring the water in a mud-hole with a stick.

Along with the water itself, little objects that float around in the water all form their own complex patterns, and all of them suggest a story.

This painting is inspired by all the flotsam and jetsam you see in the water twisting and turning around, and floating away swiftly, or getting untangled sometimes. They are made up of a medley of objects, and over time, their size and appearance goes on changing. Sometimes they add more objects, and sometimes they shed some of it..

This painting is a 24" by 30" acrylic + oil on canvas.

All of you who are in Delhi/ NCR, do come for my exhibition at Gallery 4, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, Feroz Shah Road, New Delhi- 110001, from 26th October to 1st November, open all days 11 am. to 7 pm. entry free. (This is at the Mandi House round about, so you could catch the metro to Mandi House station).