Of People and Places

A sketch of Taj-Ul-Masajid A portion of the Taj- Ul -Masajid seen from under the shade of an old old tree - a well spread out one in the vast courtyard, giving much needed respite from the 4 o clock sun. The facade seems to be made for sunsets, glowing a rosy pink and orange in the setting sun, while prayers take place inside. Thanksgiving and grace only seem natural in such a setting.   We do sit inside the main prayer hall just before people start milling in and it is magical. The silence and calm hangs undisturbed, the light filters through the windows and you are mesmerized.  The Taj -Ul- Masajid ( yes, spelled Masajid) is the largest mosque in India.  It is truly beautiful and I hope you get to experience it :) 

Sometimes, I have to scout long and hard to find a composition that would be good to sketch. Most of the times, I have to edit the scene - add a bush here, remove a tree there, add a person there, remove a light pole here. But on rare occasions like these, there are some beautiful elements all ready for you, waiting to enter your sketchbook, inviting you to park yourself in a shady nook and put pen to paper. For company, there is a drongo close by who seems to be unafraid of humans, he swoops down to see how I am making my progress and returns to this fork in the tree that he seems to love. There is a kingfisher who flies away as soon as I draw close. There are several sunbirds feasting on the flowers. There are boys playing cricket, intent on their game. But what company does a person need when there is a palash tree close by ?  

Sketching close to flowing water. Bliss. There were bats screeching around us and my friend spotted a gray hornbill. There was beautiful sunshine all around - It's a fantastic park - worth a visit :) 

  A palace in my sketchbook A view of the Kamlapati Palace from Ginnori road.  A very understated building, its beautiful ( and simple) facade catches my eye as I trudge down the road towards the Rani Kamlapati Arch Bridge. The view from the palace of the bridge itself is spectacular. It is less visited and conducive for contemplation and sketching. Although, I would have enjoyed it a lot more without the hot sun blazing down on me!  What visitors can see now is only part of the original construction built by Rani Kamlapati, the widow of Nizam Shah, the chief of Ginnaurgarh. As per legend, Kamlapati was an enchanting woman, renowned for her beauty. I read this charming couplet that immortalizes the beauty of the lake and Rani Kamlapati ( from an ASI board) -  ताल तो भोपाल ताल बाकी सब तलैया  रानी तो कमलापति और सब रनैया।  Tal to Bhopal Tal baaki sab tallaiya Rani toh Kamlapati aur sab ranaiyan All other lakes are mere ponds, not worth the name Kamalapati is t...

 A sketch of an ornate entrance at the temple of the sacred tooth relic, Kandy . 

  One of a pair of red-wattled lapwings in Shahpura lake An incredibly noisy bird, the red-wattled lapwing, known as Titahari in Hindi is a frequent visitor. His alarm calls - which one can hear often, since this bird seems to be well, alarmed, at everything, was once the scourge of hunters in the old days.  Red-wattled lapwing chicks are beautifully camouflaged, and may be hard to find on the ground, as they huddle close to leaves to escape from predators. The mottled patterns on their backs are lovely.   All my tree/birds/animals posts -  A Black - naped Oriole in Bangalore Sketching in Belgaum rains An Ashy Prinia on the balcony and hope Black-crowned night heron at Madiwala lake White-breasted waterhen in Belgaum Birds in Belgaum A love letter to the Flame of the forest Kathotiya forest near Bhopal The Saptaparni tree in Hoshangabad Fun with Babul tree pods, Bhopal The Baobab trees of Mandu A Gray Langur in Khakra Khoh, Madhya Pradesh Bangalore eighteen year...

                                                        An evening at Shahpura Lake, Bhopal. Chasing after a sunset to capture the reflections. As the sun dipped, the water broke into a million pieces. There was a lovely orange glow that I just can't describe. My dry brush technique needs work - and I also need to rethink the colors I have used and the strength of the washes too - ideally, they ought to be much lighter. Speaking of dry brush here is a nice tutorial by Shibasaki san  This one is much more closer to the actual scene - but I think it lacks finesse. Not to mention the colors are all wrong. This one looks like Northern Lights :P Northern Lights in Bhopal lol.( Oh, the last two have been painted on this lovely forgiving paper called Baohong Watercolor Paper - seriously, anything you make on it turns out quite beautiful!! And the firs...