Sketch of Virgin Mary - charcoal on paper. I decided to make this sketch after seeing a statue in the Cluny Museum in Paris. This is one of the earliest statues of Mary.

I visited my friends in Knoxville and we went to Smoky mountains. I was awestruck ! The place is so beautiful. This sketch in charcoal makes me remember the wonderful vacation we had with Murali and Nandini.

Woman in red. This is pastel on tinted paper.

'Woman from Kutch' - Pastel on tan paper. Another testimonial for my fascination for colors.

At last she is ready.. I worked on it for quite a long time. 'Old woman with twigs' was made from a photograph by documentary photographer Harry Peronius. I used charcoal on paper for this sketch. I was fascinated by the smile on this woman's face..indeed a celebration of life. See this for the original photograph..http://members.chello.se/harryperonius/index.html

Portrait of an old Iranian tribal woman. Soft pastel on tinted paper. This was made from a photograph. I was really fascinated by the colors that made this woman...especially the redness of her probably henna colored hair and the blueness of her dress. The wrinkles and the leathery texture of her skin makes me remember the character Tai, the boatman, from Salman Rushdie's Midnight's children.. Im reading the masterpiece again now..

'Dancers at the bar' - soft pastel on red paper.. reproduction of Degas.. again

'Brandon's grandparents'...This is my first commissioned work. This was done for a friend Brandon, who is also a grad student in my department. This was his birthday present for his grandmother. Charcoal on paper.

My latest as of today... This watercolor (on cold-pressed paper) was done based on a photograph I took in Florence, Italy. This is the oldest bridge in Florence - Ponte Vecchio constructed in 1345 and retains many of its original features. The structures you see are the medievel workshops, overhanging the river Arno, supported by timber brackets. I cannot just explain the beauty of this place.

Tribal woman. I found her very interesting. From a photograph published in the National geographic. Kinda incomplete. But was too eager to put this up here. Will complete this shortly. Soft pastel on red tinted paper.

'The chocolate lady'. I used soft pastel on tinted paper for this. This is a reproduction of Jean Ettiard Liotard's work. This guy revolutionised the use of pastels.

Dancer relaxing.. Another reproduction of Degas. In this I used a mixture of soft pastel and gouache, on paper. I like this a lot.

Dancer adjusting her shoes - Reproduction of Edgar Degas. Pastel on tinted paper..

Edgar Degas - famous for his ballet dancers once said that the work of masters have to be copied and copied, before you can even qualify to draw a vegetable from your garden. I have taken him just too seriously, I guess. . This is a reproduction of one of Degas' dancers.. Pastel on tinted paper.

A lighthouse - reproduction of a previous work (from an artbook). Watercolor on cold-pressed paper.

A lighthouse - reproduction of a previous work (from an artbook). Watercolor on cold-pressed paper.

Venice - A reproduction of a previous work (from an artbook). I could not go to Venice during my trip so decided to do this one. Watercolor on cold-pressed paper.

'The butterfly' - Reproduction of a previous work. I like the splash of colors in this one... I love colors! Watercolor on paper.

A feeble endeavour to reproduce Van Gogh's 'Cafe at Night'.. Pastel on paper. I used colors too excessively in this. I hope Van Gogh pardons me..

Oil painting - attempt 3. This is a reproduction of a previous work (cant remember the artist)..

Oil on canvas - second attempt... I love glass and have a collection of colored glass bottles. I tried a little impasto on the green bottle. Not the best.. but I think it is cool..

My first attempt at oil painting and Im not happy with it. 'Bamboo sticks in my living room' - Oil on canvas..

This is a portrait of an 89 year old woman , drawn from a photograph from National Geographic. Pastel on rose tinted paper.

One of my earliest sketches.. I call it 'A couple'. A charcoal sketch..

A 5 min pencil sketch of an artist... I found her photograph in an art book. Just tried this to see how fast I could do a sketch...(kidding)... just an attempt to get the shading right...