REACHING... THE INFINATE!!!

,

The dusk descends...

Like a misty veil,

Behind the trees.

A silence rises...

Within,

Like a spring!

A fountain...

Of solitude,

And stillness!!

Can you feel it…hear it…see it….?

Be quite...

Be silent...

For ..in silence…lies

The infinite meaning

Of the words…

Spoken and unspoken!!

I painted a cluster of these tall  eucalyptus trees...

from my memories of our childhood days...when i was very young and the perception of height...width...distance...and time was three times more than what it actually was  !!!

Tall trees...when seen from below gave a wonderful feeling....

We can aspire to reach the sky.....just by growing tall!!!

Aura of Bliss

Imagination is the Divine aspect of mankind... upon whose wings...we may fly...and thus realise all our finest possibilities..

As William Blake Said.....

I rest not from my great task!

To open the immortal worlds, 

to open the immortal eyes....of Man...inwards...

Into the worlds of thought...into eternity...

Ever expanding in the Bosom of God, ....THE HUMAN IMAGINATION.

Imagination gives us Wings...to reach to the far off lands of possibilities....

The only ingredients required for this journey is ....PEACE..with oneself...and the ability to open the eyes...INWARDS!

Whenever I look inwards...I find myself ...in the SURREAL world ...with the AURA OF BLISS...where my core radiates warm colours ...of Chrome and Crimson ...and the horizon...seems to be a part of me!!!

This surreal ...abstract is acrylics on paper...i have made the wings transparent ...to show that they are imaginary....the figure sits in SUKH AASAN...depicting the comfort with herself...and the colours...which form the aura....are warm colours  to suite the theme.

CELEBRATIONS OF EXISTANCE

I dance for me....
The silent vibrations from within...
Rhythm of the unseen.
I dance for me...
My steps follow their own direction...
My heartbeats echoes their sound.
My dance is pure..
My dance is Whirlwind...
I dance the Spirits Within...
I dance me.....I dance for me.

Its an acrylics on paper...i used a smaller figure this time.....to give myself ample space to dance around....
I love the fall of the fabric the dancer is wearing.....i tried to give it maximum texture  with pallet knife....applied layres of paint to bring out the desired look...I guess i should have used a stretched canvas instead of paper to make the puffy layered gown look more adorable....

TWINKLE TOES...

Dance with your spirit,
Celebrate the love you have for yourself.
Feel the inner peace that gently...moves over your inner being.
The loving presence that connects ..
with your soul....
sends you the loving vibrations....
of being in the moment of happiness.!!!

These dancing toes represent the idea of  displaying your joy of Being....
I made them with  mauve and gold hue because i feel these colours can show feminine grace .
The  expression is of Energy...passion...perfection...grace...and Happiness.
Balerina and Ballet ....has always fancied my imagination....I love this  dance form as much as i love Katthak.....

BRAMHAAND....(The inner universe)

Obsessed with space again....i tried to come out with my idea of the universe...
I always remember the story in which Yashoda....could see the whole universe inside her little sons mouth.
I wonder how amazed she must have been at that moment....
This impression of universe...with acrylics on paper...is an attempt to take a deep dive in our own Inner Universe...

There is passion in the universe:

The young stars, the whirling galaxies—

The living, pulsing earth,                                   

Thrives in the  passionate embrace…of life itself!!!

You can stare forever…at the diamond black sky,

You can think  ...you know everything …there is..to know,

And then there is more,

The greatest Universe to conquer,

Is not in the blue glowing heavens,

That spills over into golden lights,

That shine beyond time,

Then they drift farther away,

And the universe expands,

The greatest Universe to conquer,

Is in our own minds,
 

… Thoughts are tools..that  kill…and Heal,

If we reach deep within ourselves,

We will see …that the meaning of life….

is trying to find…meaning in life.

Dreams …are ships….

that take us where we need to go,

as they sail.. the Waters of our..Inner  Universe.

COME ALONG......(in the sweet past)

"

"Come, little leaves," said the wind one day.
"Come over the meadows with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold,
For summer is gone and the days grow cold.

Soon as the leaves heard the wind's loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the sweet little song they knew.

"Cricket, good-bye, we've been friends so long,
Little brook, sing us your farewell song;
Say you're sorry to see us go;
Ah! you will miss us, right?.. well, we know.

"Dear little lambs, in your fleecy fold,
Mother will keep you from harm and cold;
Fondly we've watched you in vale and glade,
Say, will you dream of our loving shade?"

Dancing and whirling the little leaves went,
Winter had called them, and they were content,
Soon fast asleep in their earthy beds,
The snow laid a soft mantle over their heads

Poem recitation was so much fun in the childhood!!!
Those tips by teachers on voice modulation...and pronounciation....the practicing aloud...in front of a mirror...friends prompting in between  ...if you kind of...forget the lines.....putting in expressions in every word....using eyebrows and smile.....oh it was such a cool exercise...
These memories often bring smile on my face.   I found these two leaves on the garden swing...and I immortalised them on the canvas..with acrylics ...
I magnified them 5 times their original size...I had fun...giving them the crinkled texture with the palette knife ....softly reciting this school-days poem....by George Cooper.

MAYA.....(The mind game)

Mind is a pair of mirrors..... One objective.....is duplicated in to several...just by adding a form !  

I created this expression of mind....which reflects my thoughts into many more possibilities of FORMS.....When I ask myself.....What is me??.....What is my form???....My mind reflects..."MANY......MANY MORE!!!."....

The forms reflected ...can be...Possibilities, Ideas, Adventures, Experiences....or Personalities. However....the innermost...being Immortal....remains...."ONE"!!     

  

As put in so beautifully by Rabindranath Tagore......................    

 .... He it is, the innermost one,...

......who awakens my being ......... 

......with his deep hidden touches....

......He.. it is,....who puts his enchantment upon these eyes...

......& joyfully plays on the chords of my heart....

......in varied cadence of pleasure & pain...... 

..... He it is...who weaves the web of "MAYA"....

..... in evanescent hues ..of gold and silver...blue and green.   

.....and lets peep out through...the folds of his feet...

......at whose touch I forget...myself.......  

......Days come...and ages  pass.....,

......and it is ever he, who moves my heart....

......in many a name,....in many a guise, 

 .....in many a rapture of joy and sorrow....

......THE INNERMOST ONE....

Krishna sakha!!.......

Nature is my favourite form....and to bring out...'His' Divine presence...in every painting....gives me solace!!!

.....When the early morning light..illuminates the mirrors...of the emerald Lake....

I sit there...mesmerised....listening to the enchanting notes...of his flute...

The half opened water-lilies....awestruck...and lost in the moment..

just enjoy the mystical frequencies...which he creates....with his melodious eyes...

Beyond time......I find him..!!!....  

     "oh!    the one...with melodious eyes....I searched for you...in the whole world...

....even filtered the entire skies....but did not find you....

....I noticed your footprints...on the flowing breeze...

....but did not search in my own eyes....

....You were just there....beneath my eyelashes.....

.....in my dreams....I found u....beyond time!!!!!......

.....I wait for the moment....when you will step onto my side....out of my dreams....

.....beyond time.....let me find you.....Oh! the one with melodious eyes.....!!!!                                     

Silent Ripples......

•  
• walk the earth in silence,... 
• in the stillness of being,....
• Communing, Listening, Hearing, Sensing, Feeling..  
• Walk the earth in silence of  Unassuming, Open,  Receptive..awareness; 
•  leaving only a trace of a footsteps  here and there.
•  Walk the world in silence....
• from the stillness of the heart,    standing at the still point....in a hush of mystery......
• Speak the language of silence...   heart to heart, 
• Whispered ..wordlessly...      in the silent Rhythm....

Floral forms  always  bring out pure consciences ...and ....the drop of water brings out life.....thats the beauty of this still-life painting....acrylics on paper....

The Liminal Light.....

A liminal state is a period of transitions where normal limits to thoughts, self -understanding, and behaviour are relaxed---a situation which can lead to some new perspectives.           

Like when the soul is illuminated.....one can see the mystics...Divine colours....

Just like the water drops create silent ripples.

 Like all at once,....

A swirl of leaves.....the velvet expanses of a gaze.....

A spontaneous dance, or two words from a sage....

And 'Wham'.....!!

 A sudden dive,...or perhaps a gradual descent/ascent...

 into a whole new way of being here.         

 

 Life hasn't changed.....I am just born again.....!!!            

 This lamp depicts the spirit of the desirous soul....to see the De vine....in its true colours.
Acrylics on canvas...

                     

Handpicked....

The horizon was changing its colours to match up with the new blooms stretched over the panorama.  My aim ...to pick the bright little things ...before the butterflies cud touch them was slowly fading away......The choosy spirit in me was looking out for the most bright, most unique, most pretty wildflowers.....but one of my twin minds was reluctant to pick out just some of them. I thought, its a better idea to be. with them in the fields...for some time where they actually belong to....

.I created this riot of colours on paper with acrylics with a fond memory of my acquaintance with these wildflowers and my attempt to handpick some joyful bright flowers to carry home.....but realized ...that it is as difficult as carrying a spoonful of water from the burbling brook...flowing  next to the hillock.

The MAVERICK within...

I am restless...I am athirst for far-away things....

My soul goes out in a longing to touch the skirt of the dim distance.

O Great Beyond, O the keen call of thy flute!

I forget, I ever forget, that I have no wings to fly, that I am bound in this spot evermore.

 

I am eager and wakeful, I am a stranger in a strange land.

Thy breath comes to me whispering an impossible hope.

Thy tongue is known to my heart as its very own.

O Far-to-seek, O the keen call of thy flute!

I forget, I ever forget, that I know not the way, that I have not the winged horse.

 

I am listless, I am a wanderer in my heart.

In the sunny haze of the languid hours, what vast vision of thine takes shape in the blue of the sky!

O Farthest end, O the keen call of thy flute!

I forget, I ever forget, that the gates are shut everywhere in the house where I dwell alone 

 

By Rabindranath Tagore..

I love this poem....connects with this impression

of the Maverick within me!!!

DANCE OF THE SOUL...

 My belief is that through both movement and stillness, we connect more deeply with our bodies and hearts, listen to their rhythms, and experience richer, healthier lives.

Dance is the loudest form of expression....as it uses all the senses....to express....body, mind,technique,grace and rythm....The outcome of this form of expression....is sheer JOY!!!

MEERA...divine intoxication

So many princesses and queens have come and gone. So many princesses, and queens have appeared on the stage of this world and vanished. How is it that the queen of Chitore alone is still remembered? Is this on account of her beauty? Is this on account of her poetic skill?

 No. It is on account of her renunciation, single-minded devotion to Lord Krishna and the self-realization. She conversed with Krishna. She ate with Krishna, her Beloved. She drank the Krishna-premarasa. She sang from the core of her heart about her unique spiritual experiences. She was indeed one of the foremost embodiments of Premabhakthi that ever walked on earth.

In her divine intoxication, Meera danced in public places. Her exalted state could not be adequately described in words. She was sunk in the ocean of Premabhakti. She had no consciousness of her body and surroundings. Who could gauge the depth of her devotion? Who could understand her internal state of Premabhava? 

 She was an embodiment of love and innocence. Her heart was the temple of devotion. Her face was the lotus-flower of Prem. There was kindness in her look, love in her talk, joy in her discourses, power in her speech and fervor in her songs. What a marvelous creation of God! What a personality of charm! Meera veritably taught the world the way to love God. 

 Made this painting with lots of admiration..towards   Meera...n her Divine Love ...For  Krishna!!!!

SUREAL EXPRESSION (VASUNDHARA)

Works of art so often arise from some deep personal feeling or crisis in the lives of their creators . I Think that art should cause its audience to experience certain feelings, and should trigger some thoughts....about some of their past experiences...or about present .
Being very close to nature ...since childhood...my journey to express and  to depict different faces of nature is going to be unending...
I see nature as a huge face of heart shape.....with different shades of greens.....the flowers had to be crimson...as it is the colour of passion...and my favorite ...The eyes are just half open because I wanted to show the glittering green eyeballs....full of affection for us all.   I made the lips...which i normally make for KRISHNA...Playing the flute....they have the mystique smile...
I made the central line dividing the face..as i wanted to show symetry along with vividitty.
Nature has many more faces....in my imagination....which I intend to bring out on the canvas in different forms....!!!

Framed Fragrance

As fragrance abides in the flower
As reflection is within the mirror,
So does your Lord abide within you,
Why search for him without?”

“Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower, and draws all good things toward you. Allow your love to nourish yourself as well as others. Do not strain after the needs of life. It is sufficient to be quietly alert and aware of them. In this way life proceeds more naturally and effortlessly. Life is here to Enjoy!”

These quotes had inspired me to take up this sureal expressions....
i used different textures to give the effect of glass and wood to the frame....the frame symbolises the physical  restrictions .....the expression of the face is of contentment within ourself....its just like the fragrance within the flower.....it exists from within....and lasts for the lifetime...of the flower.....the closed eyes reflect the peace ...which can be attained only by peeping within ourselves.....
I used mealic colours on the face...to show strength ......and the BINDI in the centre of the forehead...to show faith....
I named this painting as Framed fragance....as I relate to the thought behind it!!!

AQUA DREAMS...

Our dreams are incredible worlds full of possibilities and wonder, yet most of us never realize more than a small fraction of our dream potential. The dream world is not limited by physical laws or the limits of space and time.
If you really think about it dreams are a wild frontier where new discoveries await all of us – if we will only look for them.
Have you ever had a Lucid Dream? an Out Of Body Experience  or  imagined what it was like to travel outside your own body?
When I have  a Lucid Dream….

I feel completely removed from myself……feeling

of being separated from my body!! "eerie, rushing experiences,"  and felt as if I was drifting away from the physical

body . A Total state of Trance…But What an Experience….

I consider myself as a dream traveler,… like a tourist with a camera and a notebook looking for souvenirs….

In one of these dreams….i travelled to this beautiful lake…Where the Golden Sunlight sparkled across the Aqua Blue Water…..Diamonds of Purple Glitter the ponds surface…The Water lilies  lift their faces towards the Sun and gently Blush...
The Azure skies reflect in the Liquid Emerald….and the Gentle Breeze tickles the lilies  making Cerulean  ripples….
I worked this dream on the canvas ….with the Palette knife…and Acrylic colours….since I wanted to give it a three dimensional effect...
I wanted to create a lot of mystery and depth  in the painting so I used very dark shades of olive green..and Burnt Amber…for the still water..I was to create the line of horizon  but i could not change my focus from the water …..just wanted to be in the pond...till the end of time…..    Dreaming…the dreamers dream.

A Dreamer’s Dream

“When you allow angels to be part of your life, miracles truly happen.”
A loving angel came to me in dreams.
She showed me life’s not always what it seems,
And brought me to a place where sweet dreams live.
She gave to me a gift that I now give,
A Dreamer’s Dream.
She whispered, “Take my hand and I will lead you through A place where
only sweet dreams can come true.
Close your eyes and open up your heart,
For then this flight of dreams so sweet can start.
Dream, Dreamer, Dream.”
She brought me through the darkness to the Light,
Where colors wrapped around me, such delight.
A patchwork quilt of beauty without seams,
Each color was a rainbow full of dreams.
Dreamer’s Dreams.
She led me through a hallway of pure sound,
With doors flung open widely all around.
And from each room a song would gently play.
I wished with all my heart that I could stay,
In this Dreamer’s Dream.
But we drifted in the fragrance of the breeze,
To savor all the flowers and the trees.
We tasted all of life that we could see,
And felt it flow as one in harmony…..
We Dreamed this Dreamer’s Dream.
Then my angel turned her eyes to me and said,
“You’re the Keeper of these Dreams inside your head.
Find sweet Dreamers, who would Dream of Love and Light, These Dreams
will lead them safely through the night.
Help these Dreamers Dream.”
And so I am the Keeper of this Dream, it’s true,
But I offer all my Dreams to each of you.
May their loving sweetness visit you each night
And fill your soul with Love and Warmth and Light.
Dream, Dreamers, Dream!

PANCHA TATTVA.....THE ELEMENTAL ART

I had been deeply attracted to the ancient vedic  principles …the writings ..the symbolic representations in the mythological stories …the rituals and  the scientific reasoning behind every  Mantra…( the formula)….Yantra ..(the mechanics) and  Tantra….  (The Technique).

Whenever I discussed  our ancient Hindu Mythology ..with modern people who follow the age old traditions with a lot of faith ;...I came to a realization that their lies a deep and vast science behind every faith. And science always has a backing of reasoning and logic.

The modern generation who thinks of contemporary art as a future …also has so much in common to the age old artists who used the technique of symbolic representation to spread the message.

This creation..... is inspired by an ancient principle of The Panch Tattva… the five elements and the harmony and rhythm  of the five elements which is essential  for Life…for …Nature….as well as For Universe to  exist.

The  Buddha (The Enlightened one)  Occupying the center of the five elements…The Prithvi..(Earth)…. Jal…(water)…Agni..(Fire)……Vayu..(Wind)…and   Aakash..(sky) ..is a symbolic representation of the undifferentiated universal  principle of  Thruth….Peace..and Consciousness.

The ultimate reality yet to be realized within every living entity is the source of this symbolic creation.

When I thought of doing  the Pancha Tattva…I thought of using a deity as the central representation of truth . I feel that deities must be entities endowed with supernatural power but not yet liberated….So ..they must have attained liberation…Nirvana…thru human incarnation. They are real entities who act as a portal to the ultimate Reality….And….. The humans the assemblage of the tangible five great Elements…..Hardness(earth)….Moisture (Water)…Heat (Fire)…Breath (Air)….Interstices (Sky) …and the center of it all is the intangible Spirit…..THE SOUL.

All phenomena can be classified into one of the five great elements. 

When I attached myself to  the Principle of Pancha Tattva….I found myself using the symbolized elements in a different form ….

I used Imagination….which is as infinite as  the (Sky Element)…Passion to reach out…(like the Fire Element)….Skills and techniques like the (Water Element)…Inner Force of Action….(Like the Wind Element)…..and the backup of Knowledge…that of the (Earth Element). In the center I find myself....on a different plane of thought.

This is a message …to everyone …who are aware of this principle but have stopped realizing the importance of these five elements which are present within each one of us waiting to be engaged…in understanding and achieving a much higher goal.  The Consciousness!!!!!

As I Breathe in Strength, Confidence and Blue Skies. My fears vanish in the Vibrant Light of My Being

Before I begin my panting, I play around with small paper pieces. I "Play around" with color and design;. I make sure to keep the fun in painting. I got the idea to do daily painting warmups by watching athletes warm up. Before doing strenuous competition, athletes, dancers, actors and musicians all do warmup exercises. Why not painters?

I have found that it's a good way to ease into doing a much larger painting.- pure playing around play with no intentions other than stretching my imagination.

There is one more warming up which I do before getting on to any creative Endeavour….

There is a list of Happy ,Positive Inspiring word ..which I go thru…..choose some and feel each of them.

When I made this painting….

I tried  to  Visualize  Radiant, Positive Images, for which I  also had to Feel as if…. Bright, Sparkling Energy is flowing into me. I inhaled some  Sunshine …... took a  Breath of  Bliss…filled it  into every pore of my  body!.

Visualized  Luminous, Beautiful images, scenes, flowers or Angels! Felt  the White Light …. Luminous Pastel Light Colors suffusing my  entire body and making every cell in my body Yodel with Delight! I feel like the Rangoli  that has been Colored in all the  Hues of the Rainbow!

.......I thought…. If you are going to Visualize and Feel, you might as well make it as Enjoyable and as Electric as possible!