So this nose is frustrating. I've decided to move past it and think about the background for the time being until I can figure out how to make it work. What has been super cool in this painting is the brand new Montana acrylics I've been using. They have an ink like consistency but are more opaque. The colors are gorgeous: they're bright, vibrant with great texture. Waiting for the paint to dry so I can get back to it!

For as long as I can remember, I've enjoyed the process of painting. I feel like it gives me perspective. Now that I've started to focus on developing my own style, the process is only more enjoyable. Today was a fantastic day. I feel like I'm a step closer to discovering what makes my painting mine. Take a look at Day 3's work

I started this piece with a lot of positivity and determination. She is part of a brand new series where I want to discuss standards set for women in modern Indian society touted by tradition and culture. I'm planning on presenting them through a series of mug shots capturing women in the middle of their day, where they are judged for the choices they make. 

It was a strange day yesterday. I was sitting in my studio looking at the piece I had already put my first coat of paint on and was surrounded by the large-scale paintings I've been working on for the past few months. I'm not sure whether it was the hormones or just reality that hit me when I saw the other paintings as insincere and just decorative. They stopped speaking to me in any way. Pretty faces on large canvases. I felt like it was all a waste of time. Pointless. 

This moment led me to my next thought, which angered me even more. The thought that my work looked amateur, simple-minded, unsophisticated and lacked focus. I didn't have answers to anything. Why do I paint? What am I painting? No sense of direction. It was truly disheartening.

I sat down on the floor in front of my 30x30 inch canvas and stared at the face that stared back at me. It was lifeless. I started looking around the studio floor searching for something that might make me feel better during this pathetic pity party. There were these Krink markers, and mops that were brand new and still sealed. I opened them and started making marks on my canvas. The colors were mesmerizing and the consistency was beautiful. They were even glossy after they dried and they bled beautifully. Then something happened. It gave me the strength to get up, and go back into planning mode. This time, I'm going to do it right. This time, I'm going to invest more than just my time. This time, I'm going to make it count. 

May 14th 2016 was a turning point for me. I'm hoping it only brings the best out of me. Here's the beauty that helped me during the moment of despair.

Decided to use this next painting to experiment with a few ideas and materials. While I was finishing up on the last piece, there was something I tried and was super excited about. I wanted to achieve the feeling that the figure was somehow vanishing into the pattern behind her. Let me show you what I mean.

I probably love that bit the most in the entire painting and it saddens me to think that someone might just miss it since its so subtle. I've decided to expand on that concept a little more in this next piece. So far, all I've done is worked on the drawing and put down a little color. It looks very messy at the moment but I'm hoping I can give it some structure by the end of the day. Wish me luck!

After 10 long days, the painting is complete :D It was another long day yesterday figuring out how to achieve what I wanted to achieve with the piece. As it turns out, a few stripes would do the trick! Here's how they look

I didn't work. Literally. I spent a good 4 hours thinking of a color that would go well on the right side of the painting. Decided to go with orange. It was alright. And then I added the white. That was alright too. Seemed to sit right with the roses on the left. And then the genius part of me decided to go all sci-fi on the piece and add ridiculous white squares ALL OVER the painting. It was complete garbage. Check out what happened. PS the squares are now gone.

Today was a day to daydream. I feel like thats what I was doing while painting today..kind of just zoned out and forgot what I was doing. Something about this color palette that is truly mesmerizing. The saree became something else and I fell in love. There's a lot more to do but I thoroughly enjoyed the work I've been doing today. Have a look!

The blog title says it all. Clearly the hand is an issue, which I have been trying to resolve tirelessly for the past 3 days. I'm almost at the point where I decide not to obsess over it and come back to it when I'm ready. In the mean time, lets talk about this other woman. I really enjoyed working on her..especially the nose and the mouth but her hair's another story. Part of me wants to go back to my floral crown as the flora is a factor I want to be consistent with in all my pieces. But maybe there's a better use for that factor in this piece. At this point, I'm pondering over hairdo and color. Hopefully I can test a few options before tomorrow. Tired but excited :)

With this new piece, I wanted to try a few different things. First: break up the composition between 2 canvases. Second, try to work smaller than I usually do. Third: try to create a mood. My favorite time of the day is when the sun has just set and there is a magical blue cast over everything outside. My father says it isn't a blue but it is to me. Everything just looks so much more beautiful in that light. I can't replicate that color and how it makes everything look but I'm trying very hard to create that mood through this painting. Fingers crossed since there are a lot of unfamiliar factors in play.