Priya - paintings and sketches

2011-11-22T20:43:00.002-06:00

Andean Woman in Cusco. Charcoal on paper.

2008-06-07T18:30:00.002-05:00

Flowers again - oil on canvas

2008-06-01T19:08:00.001-05:00

Green vase with flowers - oil on canvas

2007-09-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

Glass bowl with pebbles - Charcoal on paper

2007-06-05T00:25:00.001-05:00

Are we really free?

2007-06-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

2 quick sketches. 1. The endless wait - charcoal on paper.
2. Horseride - charcoal on paper

2007-06-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

No reflection!! Strange isnt it? Charcoal and pastel on paper.

2007-06-01T22:46:00.001-05:00

The night that would come - bright colors in my land of fantasy.

2007-05-31T23:58:00.002-05:00

Loss - Charcoal and gauche on green tinted paper.

My sketch is an inspiration from Auguste Rodin's work.

2007-05-31T23:03:00.001-05:00

Crossing over - Charcoal on tinted paper.

2007-05-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

The chill thing!!

The big cart with the sky blue rusty metal cylinder had to be dragged across three little mounds, before you signal at the door – the handicap assistance door to open. With impinging guilt of wrongfully using a handicap privilege, I continue dragging it through the long corridor and after that a right turn. The very healthy manager came there and motioned me to undo the lid of the cylinder. I did that and pushed it in front of him. He put into the light blue sky colored can, a long metal cylinder, a feeling of thunder loomed large over the blue sky.

First, there was a little gurgle, a short hiss and then a long whistling sound followed by white cloudy masses of cool air at the mouth of the can. As he increased the pressure, dancing figures took shape and came out of the metal ‘urn’. A lover’s dance hand-in-hand permeated through the room and then disappeared melting down to fill every nook and corner of the dingy, dusty room. The genie-like little forms followed next. But these were the genies that couldn’t grant a boon or bring back to life the waiting inanimate things in the room…waiting to be unleashed from the dust and the darkness and the dinginess. The genies just moved around, sniggering at their motionless yet hopeful forms before they themselves disappeared.

More shapes out of the metal urn. Hands this time. Many weird shaped hands, grew long fingers or fingernails, I cannot tell, because everything was white. Some of them soldier-like. They made a quick check of the room, to ensure everything was ‘in’ place, while some bigger ones reached up, to inspect the ceiling. One naughty one went up my shirt cooling my exasperated body at once, while trying unsuccessfully to seduce me. It ended with the endless white curls of the beautiful white witch. She had been unleashed but she stayed in the urn as if her lower body was bound to the urn. She danced powerfully, vigourously moving her long white curls, which seemed to grow and grow and curl and curl. The dance lasted a while, as her tresses grew and moved to fill the floor around two pairs of booted feet (mine and his). It was as though she had been blessed with endless flowing silvery-white hair as long as she danced. But then her dance stopped and the hair stopped growing. The witch and whatever remained of her hair dissolved into thin air slowly. I realized the sky blue container was full. I returned, back to my lab, past the three mounds. This time the can was heavier. It was full of liquid nitrogen.

2007-05-27T22:50:00.000-05:00

The Thinker - Watercolor on paper.

Rodin's sculpture was meant to depict the Italian philospher Dante Alighiari or just a man struggling with himself.

2007-04-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

Homeless man on park bench - charcoal on paper (18X24in)

2007-04-01T09:46:00.000-05:00

'Tis but a fading, dying flower,
But with what bliss it dies,'

Robert C. O. Benjamin (1855-1900)

Dying daffodils in blue vase - oil on canvas. These daffodils beautifully adorn my desk though they are dying.

2007-01-13T23:09:00.000-06:00

White Deer at Rock City - charcoal on paper. This sketch was made from a picture taken by Ullas at Rock City, Tennessee.

2006-12-09T16:41:00.000-06:00

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.

2006-12-01T23:00:00.000-06:00

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.

2006-12-01T22:50:00.000-06:00

Woman in red. This is pastel on tinted paper.

2006-09-21T22:14:00.000-05:00

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

2006-09-21T21:46:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-27T00:48:00.000-05:00

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..

2006-08-27T00:44:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

'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.

2006-08-20T00:59:00.000-05:00

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.

2006-08-20T00:46:00.000-05:00

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.

2006-08-20T00:42:00.000-05:00

'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.

2006-08-20T00:29:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-20T00:25:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-20T00:19:00.000-05:00

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.

2006-08-20T00:11:00.001-05:00

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

2006-08-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

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.

2006-08-19T23:58:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-19T23:52:00.000-05:00

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..

2006-08-19T23:45:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

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..

2006-08-19T23:33:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-19T23:25:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-19T23:17:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

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...