Wishing all a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year 2025
As blank canvas to a painting, may this year be one of exploration and possibilities on all levels
Madras Art Weekend's Spotlight on the South
Exhibited my artworks at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai for Madras Art Weekend’s Spotlight on the South art show for emerging and established artists of the south. Happy to have two of my artworks find a home with a collector in Chennai. Thanks to the wonderful team of Madras Art Weekend for putting together a great show! An extremly warm and approachable team of Upasana, Pinky, Lilliam, Samyuktha and Isai! Truly passionate about the artists and their art.
And such a range of talented artists and their artworks on display at the show! And a great turnout of Chennai crowd through the week! As always inspiring to talk to visitors, other artists, see their works and hear about their inspirations!
Sangamam at Bangalore International Centre
Displayed my artworks at The Bangalore International Center recently as part of Sangamam Hubba by the Shibulal Family Philanthropies.
The hubba showcased many of the the rich folk traditions of Karnataka through the various performances of the day from Mysore theatre's Puppet show, Dollu kunitha and brilliant folk songs and dances.
Happy to share the art space there with the super talented Rohit Bhasi with his quirky and interesting illustrations and art! And have an eclectic group of people stop by to view the artworks, take interest and have conversations about it.
Honored to meet Mr. SD Shibulal, one of the cofounders of Infosys, and discuss my artworks and answer his questions about them. A wonderful evening of art and culture and meeting and making new friends.
Original Painting
Latest original painting developed from a recent idea.
In this painting I wanted to show a young, teenage boy helping his grandmom make pickles. The bright shirt with a gaming controller print gives a contemporary setting to the context.
Having the grandmom around to guide him is not just an opportunity for bonding, but also to show a perspective shift from a few generations ago to now, of having boys helpout in the kitchen more.
As a mom and an artist, have thought about how many of the traditional gender roles of society start at home and how even small changes in what we do, both at home and how its portrayed even in artworks and media around can help move conversations forward.
Also wanted to show a simple element of nostalgia in India that so many of us associate with our grandmoms kitchens ... pickles and the white and brown 'ooruga jaadi / barani ' or the pickle jar.
Kept the background light, flat and minimalist to have the focus on the two and what they are working on. And some parts with more direct brushwork and some with a more detailed finish for the same reason
Glad to have my super sportive mother-in-law and my son go along with my idea and patiently posing for all my instructions to the many photographs I took with the concept and painting in mind.
And yes..we did end up with a jar of tasty lemon pickle at the end of it 😄
Commissions going to the US this year.
A) Sunlit Reverie, Oil on Canvas
Latest commission off to Delaware, USA :) My collector wanted to commission some artworks of her daughter. She really liked this side profile pic of her, taken on her ballet recital, with the sunlight falling on her creating a play of colors. The little girl was lost in her thoughts with a gentle look on her face and it was such a candid capture that it had to be painted! :) A second photo, taken on her phone was not clear enough to be made into a painting, but was such a sweet expression and pose so decided to make a charcoal sketch with a pop of color of her ballet tutu.
In my collector's words when she first saw the artworks"
I have no idea how you managed to capture so much!!!! The colors look identical and the nuances in her face, they make me cry. I'm in love with a painting ❤️. I love that profile and I'm glad you picked that one!! It's so beautiful!!
The sketch is amazing as well and looks so beautiful with the dress in color! "
B) Father’s day charcoal commission
A surprise father's day commission that made its way recently to the home of a lovely family in Ohio, USA.
Commissioned by the mom as a gift to her husband of him with their two girls :)
The reference she had taken on her phone was such a candid moment, full of genuine emotion, that we both agreed immediately that this would make a great charcoal drawing for the occasion! She thoughtfully commissioned me well in advance to be able to work on it a relaxed and flexible pace. Thoroughly enjoyed working on this piece for them.
Happy that it was loved by all of them and turned out to be a great father's day surprise!! :) Glad to have my art in the home of this loving, super talented, musical family!
Vasanta Chitra Sambrama
A wonderful learning experience as the director and participating artist of Vasanta Chitra Sambrama Art camp organized by Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan along with Infosys Foundation Bangalore in April 2024.
12 enthusiastic and talented city artists got together to celebrate spring in Bangalore in their unique styles and perspectives. We went to Cubbon park and painted there the whole day and gathered inspiration for our two paintings, leading up to an exhibition between May 25th-31st, 2024 in Bangalore.
Interacting with Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan's director H.N. Suresh sir and Jt. director Nagalaksmi maam and collaborating with the 11 other artists was a wonderful experience in itself.
Vasanta or the Season of Spring marks the beginning of abundance, beauty and joy in nature. In both my artworks I wanted to celebrate the vibrancy of the season with bright colors and bold brushwork in two iconic locations around Bangalore, Cubbon Park and LalBagh.
1) “Nature’s Symphony”, Oil on Canvas, 18x24 inches, In collection of BVB and Infosys Foundation
Mother nature in spring seems to be blushing soft pinks, gorgeous greens and dashing reds all around. And this is a delight in the concrete jungle of Bangalore especially. The 100 year old bandstand is one of the landmarks in Cubbon park where various dance and music performances have been put up over the decades and I imagined how bustling it would have been during that time. I chose to showcase it against the bright clear blue skies, pink Tabebuia flowers, tender green leaves and a dash of the red Gulmohar blossoms in the distance.
“Spring Cascade”, Oil on Canvas, 18x24 inches, In collection of BVB and Infosys Foundation
Recently, I was surprised to hear about the small man made waterfalls at Lalbagh. Having never seen it in all these years, I enquired about it but locals mentioned that it needed to be maintained better. So I imagined it in spring with abundant water, purple Jacarandas and Golden yellow trumpets flowers. Using various references, I painted cascading water over the rugged natural quarry rocks, in the hope that seeing how beautiful it can be, we are encouraged to maintain and take better care of our water bodies, parks and surroundings.
Painting from life
Had an interesting time organising live drawing and painting sessions at Lahe Lahe, Indira Nagar and at Cubbon Park along with my artist friend Megha. Finding models, coordinating the space, lighting and more was a good challenge apart from the learning that working from life itself brings. Drawing/ painting from life is such a challenging yet great way to understand the subject and nuances of shapes, light and color.
The pros make it look easy but boy is it a lot of hard work getting there!! :) And while it was well attended by other artists and enjoyable, I was quite happy to find another group of artist friends that coordinated the same. I could just focus on my art and learning from the sessions. Glad to have a likeminded group of artists in Bangalore to meet and paint together with.
Check out insta for session videos and more details
India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale, 2023
Extremely honoured to be selected to participate in the first ever India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale organised by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. 150 artworks of 75 artists from across India were selected for the event inaugurated by the PM of India, Shri Narendra Modi. It was an absolute honor to have the Prime minister of India view my artworks!
Our show was wonderfully curated by Dr. Abira. In addition there were 7 themed exhibitions, each spanning 3 or more floors, panel discussions, workshops and more all within the iconic, 17th century Red Fort!! Just brilliant! Art for everyone indeed. And what a crowd response it was!
One of the most heartening aspects I found was how accessible it was to the public... those who may not ever make it to galleries anytime soon! I saw construction workers, people from interior parts of the country and lots and lots of children and school kids apart from the urban population who are exposed more to such events. Entry was free those 7 days and it opened it up to a lot of people. It was very interesting interacting with such a diverse group of people and seeing them respond to different aspects of art, architecture and design. Check out my Instagram for more pictures and videos of IAADB 23
Gratitude for the opportunity 🙏
"Coffee with A slice of life", Oil on Canvas
Sometimes simple, slice of life moments have beauty in them and more so one that I see around me in Bangalore cafes so often! :)
And while I usually paint from my own photo references, this one was inspired from a copyright free source. Modified it quite a bit to add my own elements to the narrative. It got my attention right away for, among other things, it showcased women going on with their daily life routines rather than idealized versions of them :)
"Coffee with A slice of life", Oil on Canvas , 12x12in.
Charcoal workshop at The Forum Art Gallery, Chennai
Explored the versatile medium of charcoal with 10 enthusiastic students! Ranging from ages 10 -70 years they showed that age indeed is not a barrier to learning something new! Most of them had never worked with charcoal before.
And what a wonderful gallery setting for this at The Forum Art Gallery, Chennai. Glad to have its founder Shalini Biswajit and coordinator Asha around to share a lot of interesting information abt the artworks there.
Teaching is a two way street and a teacher learns something in the process and gets inspired as well.. and it certainly was that for me!
All India Merit Grant Award 2022-23 for Emerging Artists of India.
Happy to receive the Prafulla Dahanukar Foundation's All India Merit Grant Award 2022-23 for Emerging Artists of India.
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Honored to have my charcoal drawing showcased at the Karl Khandalavala Gallery of the 100 year old Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vaastu Sangralaya, Mumbai, from April 2nd-7th, 2023
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My drawing "Infinite Horizon" is an expression of how a woman's potential is truly infinite and that she has to find and nurture that spark by looking both within and beyond, and persevere no matter what! Wanted to capture a certain contemplative and inward quality to the gaze even though she is looking into the horizon. With the looseness of the lines sought to convey the essence of the free spirit that she truly is if she chooses to be so!
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The works of the other artists from all over India were amazing and it was truly inspiring to talk to many of them and find out the creative inspiration and process behind their artworks!
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If you are in Mumbai, please do visit the museum. It is amazing with such historic treasures and a must visit for anyone interested in art! :)
Naari KalaMahotsav at ChitraKala Parishath
Exhibited two of my charcoal portrait drawings at "Naari KalaMahotsav”, Akanksha's 10th Anniversary Mega Art Show showcasing artworks of 90 women artists at ChitraKala Parishath, from March 8th-12th. My painting Mesmer'eyes won 1st place in portraiture at the show.
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Inaugurated on International Women's day, March 8th by Ms. Nazneen Banu, Director of National Gallery of Modern Art Bengaluru & Mumbai and an esteemed panel of guests, it was wonderful day of art, bonding, camaraderie, listening to and exchanging stories and experiences. Indeed underscoring the value that sisterhood and friendship brings. As one of the guests said in their speeches "Alone we strive.. but together we thrive"!
Exhibition of my painting at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
Exhibited my oil painting at the prestigious Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, as part of the juried 105th Annual Exhibition of Art Society of India(set.1918), showcasing works of select artists from across India. Some pictures from the inauguration.
Kids Commission work - "Sibling Bonds"
In my collector's words: "Love is the most important ingredient in anything we do and it was so evident in your work. Cannot thank you enough . This is going to be one of my most precious possessions now, not only for me and my husband but for my kids as well in years to come"
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"Sibling bonds", Commissioned art, Oil on Linen, 32 inches
For this commission my client wanted a painting of her kids captured in a natural way in an ocean setting. We decided on this particular reference for the painting as we wanted to capture the stance of the little boy looking at the ocean in a mix of both awe and a little apprehension seeing the vastness before him...and his sister calmly being there for him to hold her hand.
It was good challenge since as per the client's request, I used colours of the sea and sand very different from the original reference but using multiple ocean references from her own pictures.
Kept the waves minimal, loose and impressionistic to keep the focus on the kids mainly.
It now adorns the wall of her daughter room :)
India Art Festival, Bangalore
India Art Festival’s first Bangalore edition was a celebration of art in all its variety. With a display of artworks of different styles, mediums and colours it provided a great platform for artists and collectors to meet and for artists to network as well. Here is a glimpse of my stall with select works
Had some media coverage for my artworks as well, both in print & as video interviews during the festival. One was 5 min video interview in Kannada for a regional TV show. Happy to have explanation about my artworks reach local audiences.
My Insta has short snippets from both interviews... one in Kanada & one in English where I talk about the inspiration behind some of my artworks! Had family, friends and well wishers visit my stall and the show. A few of my artworks found new homes as well. Overall it was a great experience.
Took part in an Art Exhibition for a cause this Saturday at the Total Environment Corporate Campus, Bangalore.
" Where This Flower Blooms", was an art and creative fundraiser event for 3 different charities. School building in rural areas, reaching out to the less privileged in interior India, Addressing climate change and Slow fashion were some of the causes.
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It was a fantasic day ..full of art, poetry, creativity, and heart organised by Artist Bharati Sagar and Architects and Founders of Total Environment Homes, Shibanee Sagar and Mr. Kamal Sagar.
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It was inspiring and eye opening to hear Artist S.G Vasudev talk about the inception of Cholamandalam Artist's Village in the Chennai of the60's, then Madras! How along with Mr. KCS Paniker and few more artists they started the college without government help / funding to keep the autonomy of the artists going.
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And later had the opportunity to discuss with him about the early Madras Art Movement days, artist JMS Mani, a close friend of his and a few more thoughts of his on some Indian and Italian artists.
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Artist Bharati Sagar spoke about her influences behind the beautiful soft and fluid pastel & mixed media figurative works depicting women and children.. and her works with natural materials.
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Mr Suresh Jayaram spoke about the very early history of Bangalore's Lalbagh, an ode to the iconic location, on which he has published a book on with many historic drawings & photographs.
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Artist Dimple had a wonderful performance piece on the precarious balace between Man and Nature.
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Met and made new art friends :)
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Meeting and listening to the stories, seeing works of so many artists, creatives and founders was a humbling learning experience altogether.
Chitrasante 2022
The offline ChitraSante 2022 provided a great opportunity to meet and interact with art enthusiasts, artists, art buyers, make new art friends and catch up with some old friends who visited!
Many of my artworks found new homes and it is always a great feeling to hear what made them connect with a particular work and made them buy it.
.. A husband gifting a travel themed drawing to his wife who loved to travel but was not finding the time post having a kid. He wanted it to inspire her to go on adventures again!
... A young tech employee who wanted to buy her first artwork and liked the bold and direct gaze of the woman in the drawing she bought.
... A family that bought many music themed drawings because their young daughter loved singing and their son liked to draw..
Made me realise that people and not art should be viewed as an investment. Meaning .. investment in time, energy and developing strong relationships! Art meanwhile should be bought from the heart!
Chitrasante indeed provide an opportunity for artlovers to connect directly with the artists and see their artworks.
Exploring an Ancient temple with Grandpa
Grandparents bring such a wealth of affection and wisdom to grandkids.
In this work I wanted to capture the juxtaposition of young and old, ancient and new. And also to capture a simple moment of human interaction, something that was a challenge, across the world, over the last two years!
I captured the reference picture on my children's first travel with grandparents post lockdown, a meeting after a gap of over a year! Among other places, happened to visit an ancient temple and saw grandpa & grandkid looking at this huge, old, beautiful bronze cast horse and discussing what it was. I knew then I wanted to paint the scene..so took some photographs & got to painting it after modifying & editing some details ( including editing out the masks!)
The beautiful horse which captured their attention was a challenge to paint... especially the patina ( green & brown oxidation due to age) and its reflective surface with tiny details. It took a lot of time and learning to apply paint rather than paint the details flat and taught me patience :)
Oil on canvas, 20x20in
Strada September Art Challenge.
Decided to take part in the Strada 30 Day Art Challenge to paint or draw ‘ From Life’ every day in September 2021. This challenge is held twice a year in January and September where nearly 1000 artists or more participate world wide in drawing & painting and posting them on social media for people to follow their progress. Through participating in this I wanted to challenge myself to set better routines in creating art through the pandemic since the days, evenings and nights seemed to be all rolled into one. Along with another dear art friend, planned ahead for approximate subjects to paint, materials required and how to go about it during 30 days.
And what a month of learning it turned out to be! Through morning online school schedule for the kids, through the daily cooking chores, through busy festival times of Ganesh Chaturthi and milestone birthday celebrations and family get togethers….paint and draw from life I did. Whether they be simple subjects like a small plum or capsicum to a few more detailed still life setups..or dashing to create & post in the last 30 min of an extremely busy day it felt great to be creating something every single day.
A Few Tips and Takeaways from the Challenge.
1. Know the reason why you are doing it. For me it was self improvement, to paint more often and get more brush miles. So I was clear, like many others on the challenge, that it was not to impress anyone or for the social media likes ( which is nice to have but not the main reason :). That takes a lot of the pressure away. For others it was to create small works to put up for sale. For still others it was a bit of both. It could be a totally different reason for you but do try be clear on why you are participating in the challenge.
2. Try to have at least one like minded art friend ,which ever part of the world they may be in, to participate with you in the challenge. You can bounce ideas off of each other, hold each other accountable on really tiring days and just have a good time discussing the joys of creating art :)
3. Plan ahead. Plan simple. Plan at least 10 days before the challenge. Have a rough idea about what you may want to paint. You can have one simple theme for the whole month ( eg. objects in the house, florals for 30 days, faces & features, plein-air on 30 days etc etc) or a few different themes. Or focus on specifics you want to get better at like values, colour ,edges etc. I painted a new theme every 4 days ( objects in the kitchen, kids play things, sport, portrait features, the view from my window etc etc) and towards the last week just painted whatever I felt like. That gave me the ability to experiment with different subject matters I had always wanted to but never got around too. But remember if has to be ‘From life’ only.
4. If this is your first time taking part in the challenge is easier to paint/draw small like 5x7in,6x8, 8x8 or 8x10 according to what your goal is. It is ok to paint the same subject over few days ( check out the Strada page for more info on this). For me it was easier to keep the subject matter super simple. A few veterans of the challenge tackled complex subjects with ease. Going through previous Strada challenge entries on social media can help give an idea.
5) Have the materials ready. But don’t go overboard with purchasing :). I wanted to use up many of the old canvases that I had rough work on so I repainted the works over them. Purchased a few paint colours I was running out of. Many veterans of the challenge cut / purchase the boards or paper well ahead and I would recommend that too.
6. Lastly… have fun! Enjoy the process! It is exhilarating some days to complete the work while tiring on some days where u just have to muster enough enthu to put down the last few brushstrokes…but all in all the end of the 30 days the growth that comes with the hard work is an amazing feeling! And you have some wonderful works to show for it.
Do check out my Instagram@aparajitagopal for detailed pictures and videos posted everyday during the month of September.