Picture these concepts

1. The other self-The earlier post titled two worlds showed how we all live in two worlds, the sleeping-the waking; the real-the imagined. In fact we are two. One self is the space and time bound being living the earthly existence(shown in green), the other is its twin self, the seeker, the one that is detached from time or space (in Black) and seeks the experience of being the absolute self. The black depicts the darkness symbolising that seeking God or the absolute self is like entering the darkness,or the dark night with its mystery and fear of the unknown. The absolute self is depicted as the fish which is the symbol of infinity. This experience of the absolute is the experience of light and the eyes are shown as closed for there is nothing more to be known, it is the state of "being" the all seeing...

2. Seven Heavens and the Horizon - In the second painting the yellow clouds are symbolic of the unseen worlds or seven heavens and the purple is the seen world. Many religions have the concept of Seven Heavens (and Seven Earths!) or "the many worlds of space and time" (both Abrahamic and Hindu religions). From this concept it is understood that there are unseen universes where 'form' is. Even beyond this is the state called "Nirvana" where there is no form.(This I believe is the state called the Divine Throne which is said to be in or above the seventh heaven in most Abrahamic religions). This is the one power that is coursing through the seen and unseen universes which I have depicted as a bird and its mount, the sustainer, the binding force, the overseer or maybe in one descriptive word the Horizon. The point where Earth and heavens can actually be seen as meeting...

Two Worlds

1. "The Think Sleep" was adapted from a photograph(from a photo collection of my brother which I often refer for inspiration) in which I liked the way the child seemed to be thinking in sleep. Sleep time is a world of its own, strange dreams, different lands, and often a place where the thoughts of the day are arranged and settled...all ready for the other world..the one that opens when the eyes do....
2. "The Play Universe" This is the Universe of Kids, where everything is larger, is different. The curtain may become the window to a world like the one "Alice" visited. There are fairies, there are dwarfs...

and all these are so much more fun when there is a like minded friend to travel the wonderland with... (This is a picture of my girl and her friend)

Colour Portraits I love doing faces. I love doing wrinkles too. It makes the face more fun to work on with lot of shading to do! The first colour portrait I did, I think was of my paternal grandmother and the medium was poster. That was during school. She turned out slighly dusky where she had been reasonably fair! But the wrinkles and eyes were perfect if I may say so myself. I could see her departed soul in those eyes...My mom decided it wont give her rest so I don't have it now. The next was at the wish of my much loved hostel warden during graduation, Dr Aruna Parihar, a poster colour portrait of her. But I rather liked the crayon coloured portrait of her better which I did as a parting gift for her. The next was a request for a portrait in oil and now this wasn't something I could mess up! So I learnt the basics of oil portrait for one month at a Kala Kendra and managed a good one! With regard to portrait in water, I have only the memory of a book by Milind Mullick (on water colour in general). But I have to say study of the way a medium works is necessary and I wish someday I will understand water colour better...

Self Sketch..Version I and II

 

Sketching faces is my favorite when it comes to the topic of sketching as there is an unparalleled joy in getting the face right. I have sketched a lot of faces over the years, but only one or two feeble attempts at self sketch. I haven't really succeeded in self sketch before this. I have a strong suspicion that self sketch is more difficult, maybe because we often correct 'that loud nose' etc and put the picture in our mind on paper which often is far removed from what we look like! I tried with a few photos of myself but this one was what I managed to get correctly, maybe it matched my view of myself! My family agreed it looks like me and so did my friend Priya.

I have a problem, I sometimes overwork and so I uploaded the first basic sketch in Tagged Artlover Group (which had required self sketch from members) and then worked on it again after another look at the original picture....Oh I don't have that tamed hair! Its more of an unruly self willed bunch which has its moods every day (and I have to go with it and set myself accordingly). The "right" picture is my hair in one of its airy moods.