Of People and Places

I like Deepavali/Diwali because it goads us to clean our houses, declutter our minds and make fresh starts. That though life keeps throwing you back in the darkness which you thought you had escaped, you can find the light inside your own self to find your way out of the darkness. Diwali reminds me that I can choose. Choose to walk in the well-lit path of kindness, compassion, warmth and love and leave malice, ignorance and complacence in the shadows. You can be the richest person in town or the humblest, but one little diya with oil and a wick can spread the same warmth and joy whether you live in the most opulent palace or the meanest shanty. So happy Diwali, and keep the fire burning bright! The light may flicker, but it will never wane. 

Come October and Bangalore changes. There is a mellowness in the air and it gets warmer as the rains give in to the winter months reluctantly. All the seasons seem to jealously guard their reign. Spring, Monsoon, Autumn and Winter hate to give up their time in the sun. It is sunny, warm and bright. Leaves are strewn about every morning and evening while the undaunted  sweepers pile them up on the street corners. It rains on some days and the leaves are in a soggy mess of yellows,reds and browns on the roads, squelching underfoot. The Almond trees are lovely. Their broad leaves wait patiently for the wind to carry them to their graves. Not very romantic graves. They fall on the sides of the roads, get stuck to unsuspecting cars and vehicles, and clog the gutters. This time of the season has an austere beauty. Autumn is like a prudish beautiful woman unwilling to let herself go the way Spring does, and almost on  her way to becoming like the eldest - frosty w...

Benaulim beach in Goa - Acrylic on canvas I saw them too that night - the leaping rabbits. In the pitch dark sky and ocean, white, they leapt as if in a fever, tumbling about in a frenzy to reach the shore. This image is not my own, It is from a Japanese anime film called ' In this corner of the world'. In that a boy says to a girl, "The white waves look like rabbits hopping." and she paints the scene as he sees it. A small clipping of the film - On that day, I saw them too. It was a very unique, beautiful experience. I wished for a full moon, but even without moonlight it was pretty amazing. The foam was glowing in the dark, perhaps reflecting the distant lights on our side of the land.

Agumbe in the rains is a sight to behold. It is in fact one of the wettest places on earth. I was lucky to be a part of a volunteer group from Bangalore to participate in their Rainforest restoration project at Agumbe Rainforest Research Station.  We had to plod through wet mud and leeches were only too happy to cling to us. As we neared the ARRS visiting center, we spotted him - A beautiful vine snake( Ahaetulla Nasuta) stretching his slender neck - ramrod straight ( full marks for good posture!) looking inquisitively into the distance while we gaped, and oohed and aahed and took pictures.  Unless you take a closer look, the vine snake looks exactly like foliage - a slender tendril of a creeper perhaps. To top it all, he has a cute snout, and an almost swan like appearance when he stretches his head to look at us. His eyes look half-closed like some yogis'.He is very elegant and delicately constructed. And quite unforgettable :) The Common vine snake is endemic ...

As the morning unfolds, the Jama Masjid looks gorgeous. Close to the Nainital lake, it sits there glinting in the winter sun, framed by the mountains that surround Nainital. I have spent the morning loitering around the lake and sit down to sketch. In the pleasant sunlight, two boys are flying a kite. In the Flatts ( where there is a playground), NCC cadets are practicing. The sky is clear and bright. What more can one want. Slowly the boys with the kite come closer, curious to see what I am drawing.One of the boys wants to see it. I tell him, it isn't finished yet, and promise to show it once it is done. Finally when I do show him, full of disclaimers, saying that the perspective is wrong, that it looks quite wonky and not quite like the Masjid, he nods sagely and says, " Koyi nahi didi. Agar aap hamare school ke drawing competition mein bhaag leti to aapko first prize milta.* " Kids can be really kind, sometimes. (* It's ok, didi. If you had taken pa...

Sights of Colva beach at sunset.   As I plopped down in the soft sand, the sun hid in the soft clouds, for some reason, embarrassed.   This was an amazing sight. If it weren't for the horizon line, you couldn't make out where the land ended and the sky began.  The sea and solitude. This lonely figure stretched its arms to the sea as if wanting to be swallowed. The other three were blissfully unaware, secure in each other's company.   The sea speaks - of lost loves and longings, of broken dreams and shattered faith. Things we dare not express the waves imbibe and reveal. 

Painting trees is one of my most favorite things to do. I love foliage and can never get tired of painting or sketching their different hues. I have improved a bit on my technique, all thanks to Sadhu Aliyur sir and practice. Apart from the technique, I think what I learnt the most from Sadhu sir is his passion for work and his immense patience. He has a very unassuming, nonchalant air when painting - If the artwork is ruined, it is ruined ( and it is really ruined in watercolor!All those wasted sheets!) - now move on to the next sheet of paper and try it again. In the midst of all that practice and those failed attempts, once in a while you get something you're happy with. An effect that is brilliant maybe or light and shade that is captured correctly in your sketchbook.  And this 'once in a while', is enough to sustain an interest and make you want to paint more. I think Sadhu sir will paint at any time of the day ( or night) - all he would need is some paper, brush...