Cap on Cap off

T he year 2008 will soon come to an end paving way for the new year 2009.

This is couplet painting of a young boy happily showing off his cap. Acrylics on canvas, size 16"x20".

Cricket painting - the batsman

In India, cricketing is great passion, and almost a way of life for some.

I remember listening to radio commentaries of cricket during my college days, which has greatly contributed to the popularity of cricket in India even to this day. Today there are exclusive TV channels dedicated to the cricket game.

It is only natural that I decided to do a cricket painting to add to my 'Body Language' series.

'The Batsman' is an acrylic painting of size 12"x16"done in fauvist style with vivid colors. Here the focus is on the body language of the batsman who is leaning forward, poised to face the ball. But the batsman's bat is not actually visible except in the shadow, indicating its presence.

Painting of The Cart Vendor

This is a painting of an Indian Cart Vendor pushing his cart with his wares. He is wearing the usual head dress that protects him from the hot sun, and is in a folded lungi and a white shirt.

The background of this painting is abstracted and done with the 'glazing' technique to give the wonderful rich green color. Whereas the turban and shirt is done with the 'impasto' technique.

This is an acrylic painting on canvas of size 12"x16" readied for the 'Body Lanuage' show.

Painting of a woman in a saree selling pooja plates

In India, most temples sell pooja plates in front of the main entrance to facilitate pilgrims to do pooja inside the temple. Many men and women line the entrance selling pooja plates early morning, as pilgrims start coming even by 6 am.

This is an acrylic painting of a woman selling pooja plates, of size 16"x18"

Close up of the Indian tender coconut vendor

My fascination for the Indian tender coconut vendor continues. I chose to paint a close up this time, hoping to capture the interesting contours on the face caused by the 12 o clock sun.
I also hope to have captured the body language showing his style and the self confidence in his work.
This is an acrylic painting of size 12"x16". Please click HERE to see how this painting will look if it is framed.

Home Makers

I have been busy lately painting and getting prepared for my upcoming show in February. Hence the long intervals between posts. Just once a month nowadays.

Here is a glimpse of what you can expect at my upcoming show. It is all about Indian people and their body language that I see everyday around me. This show will also give everybody a glimpse today's India.

'Home Makers' is a painting of three Indian women literally building homes. You can see in this painting, two women in sarees and a young girl wearing a lehenga and blouse carrying bricks. It happens only in India, as they say. This is an acrylic painting of size 18.5"x15".

For a framed view of this painting, click HERE.

Painting of an Indian woman in a saree, picking rice.

This is a painting of an Indian woman clad in the traditional saree, seated on the floor - cleaning rice, by picking at the tiny stones that sometimes is found in the rice. She has chosen a sunlit corner of her house to do this comman household work.

'Woman picking rice' is an acrylic painting of size 12"x16". Click HERE to have a framed look of this painting.

Painting of the Indian tendor-coconut vendor selling coconuts

I have been rather busy for the past month (painting of course). I have a show coming up in February 2009, and I have been working on it. But I intend to find time to add to my blog now and then, some of the paintings that I plan show at the exhibition.

Here is the painting of 'The tender coconut vendor'. In India, during summer, at 12 noon when the sun is right above our heads, the tender-coconut vendors appear like magic on cycles to quench our thirst.

The vendors neatly tie the tender coconuts in bunches, load it on their bicycles and deliver it at our door steps, even if you live in the remotest streets of India. Not to worry as to how to break open the coconuts. It is a pleasure to watch the vendors shave off the edge of the tender coconuts with a specially designed knife, punch a hole, insert a drinking straw, and serve it with such finesse. Indeed we are blessed with such service.

The tender-coconut vendor is a painting done in acrylics on canvas of size 12"x16".

Click HERE to see a framed view of this painting.

Painting of CROTON plants Foliage series

My fascination for the croton plant continues. Here is another one for the 'Foliage series'. This time I did whole plants instead of just the leaves.

Croton plants - is an original acrylic painting of size 9.5"x7.5".

Click HERE for a framed view of this painting.

Portrait of my Mother

In memory of my mother who had loved and lived well. Painting one's own family involves a lot of feelings. I just hoped to capture the radiance and love she always spread when she entered a room with her million dollar smile.

Painting of the Hampi Pillars-a traditional Indian scene

'Pillars of Hampi' is an oil painting of the pillars of the traditional great Hampi Temple. The size of this painting is 12"x16".

This painting is a part of the series called the 'Essence of India', in which I am painting the various typical traditional scenes of India.

In this painting the evening sun lights up the pillars of Hampi and also the coconut trees that border the pillars above them like a crown.

click HERE for a framed view of this painting.

New blog called 'Buy Usha's original paintings'

Hi all

Due to requests from my well wishers, I decided to start this new blog called 'Buy Usha's Original Paintings'. You may have to subscribe again to this blog to receive emails of paintings that I will be listing for sale.

Have a nice day!

CROTON - painting of colorful crotons a house-plant

Recently I had decided to deviate from my habit of using only subtle colors in my paintings and dared to use vibrant bright colors instead. What better subject than the vibrantly colored leaves of the CROTON plant.

This is a plant which has a kaleidescope of bright colors like reds and pinks, oranges and purples and vibrant yellows, sometimes all colors on the same leaf. Stripes and spots are also characteristic of this plant which is even kept indoors to liven up a living room.

CROTON is an acrylic painting on canvas of size 9.5"x7.5".

FOLIAGE painting of colorful leaves of plants

'FOLIAGE' is a series of paintings I am doing of colorful leaves and plants that I see when I go for a walk every day in our local park.

The evening sunlight seeps through the leaves making them transluscent, and adding to the vibrancy of the colors of the leaves.

This 'Foliage' is an acrylic painting on canvas of size 10"x7.5".

Abstract paintings of foliage

Foliage paintings are both done in the abstracted realism style. They are acrylic paintings done on stretched canvas of size 10"x7.5".

Project painting - 'Portrait of the Kaneri flower' - Oleander portrait

A 'Close Encounter' with a flower happened when I painted this close-up of the 'kaneri flower' - also called Oleander flower in English -  to send it as an entry to a project called 'Portrait of a flower'. This is an acrylic painting of size 10.5"x 7.5".

This April project was set by Marion Boddy-Evans - the Guide to painting on the about.com website. The about.com website is a New York Times Company undertaking, and is a treasure trove of information for many subjects including painting.

I am very happy to note that Marion Boddy Evans has liked my painting. She has especially liked the background texture created by variation in color and tones. She has made special mention of the shadow of this flower. She says that 'this is a shadow with visual intrigue in color and mark making'. She has also noted that I have not used black color to paint the shadow of the flower. I have infact used darker shades of purples and pinks to create the shadow.

Click here to view the actual painting that I had submitted for the April project and also the detailed comments of the project Guide Marion Boddy Evans in the about.com painting website.

Painting of young boys playing cricket.

'YOUNG CRICKETERS'- is an acrylic painting of size 16"x12", done in the impressionist style.

I felt that painting a scene of young boys playing cricket on the wayside was a must do for the 'Body Lanuage of India' series, as this is a very common sight here in India. So here it is.

In this scene note the body language of two boys playing cricket in the hot sun, one with bat in hand and the other probably shouting instructions at the bowler. This is a scene at mid-day, with the sun just overhead, and hence the shadows are seen just below them. Also notice the expression of total concentration on the boy's (with the bat) face, as he waits for the ball to be bowled towards him. Their cycle is also seen casually resting on the brick wall close to them.

Painting of Flowers Bougenvillea

Bougenvillea is an acrylic painting on canvas of size 15"x10" . This painting is done in a style called the impasto style. The impasto style technique involves using loads of paint. I enjoyed doing this paintg, using a painting knife, and lifting large blobs of paint, applied on the canvas to produce this art work of 'Bougenvillea'. Here u can see a guy handing over a bouquet of Bougenvillea to a girl.

Twillight Years- painting of an Indian couple

Twilight Years

Twilight Years - This is an acrylic painting of size 16"x12".
This painting is part of a series I am painting called 'Body Language of India' .
In this painting, note the body language of the senior couple seated on a park bench, with their legs folded up, and facing each other, and their chappals lying on the grass beside them. This is a lovely sight often seen by evening joggers at any park in India. This couple who are in their 'twilight years' are seen relaxing in the evening 'twilight' of the day.

Portrait of Shantharam

'Shantharam' is an oil painting of size 12"x8.5".

My husband willingly agreed to pose for a portrait I wanted to do of him on the condition that he will not pose unnaturally for it. So I took a few photos of him from various angles, even as he was watching his favourite Hindi serials on the TV, and did this painting. He conceded that it looked like him!

Painting of Thirst-Quenched cool sip

'Quenched' is a painting done in acrylics on canvas of size 16"x12".

This painting is part of a series I am painting, called 'Body Language of India'. In this series, I hope to capture the day to day beautiful scenes and the body language of the 'Indian people' we see around us, but do not have the time to appreciate.

In this painting note the body language of this young teenage girl, having a 'thanda thanda cool cool sip' of fresh tender-coconut water to quench her thirst in the 'hot hot' sun. I have done this painting in an 'abstracted realism' syle. The hot sun is represented by bright orange colors, and the coolness of tender coconuts by the greens.

The Wave

The Wave is an acrylic painting on canvas that was recently purchased by a lover of art. The painting is of size 16"x12", and depicts the coast of Kerala -India in the background. I have done this painting in a dual syle. Notice that the background is done in the 'realistic style', whereas, the foreground, which is the 'the wave' itself, is done in an 'impressionist style', showing the reflection of the evening sunlight on the wave.

PATTAYA BEACH

'Pattaya Beach' is an acrylic painting of size 16"x12". This is a realistic painting done in impressionist style.

This paintng is a product of my holiday spent at the beautiful Pattaya Beaches of Thailand.

FLOWER BASKET

Flower Basket is an acrylic painting of size 16"x12".

'Jasmine' and 'Genneri' (Indian name) are the major variety of flowers I use to do my daily pooja (prayers). These small flowers are very beautiful, colorful and convenient in size to serve flowers to God while chanting manthras. Last October when my garden produced a record bounty of flowers, I just filled handfulls into the basket and set up a still life setting for this painting.