Little notes to self

I am thinking of writing little notes to myself about my works remember those aha moments when you just know what to do, we all have those and we can categorize them and share them with others.
What should I call them life cards? moment cards? or flashcards. I was reading from my diaries from 8 years ago of things and events and moments that I don't think of anymore but they were significant then. It's funny how life changes us and also changes our perspective. Am going to share one little lesson here from the kitchen here "Clean as you go" and "Plan your meals ahead" so that you have time to paint.

Knowing your tools

What is it that stops one from working on their craft, family responsibility otherworldly stuff. I don't know all I know is there is always a struggle there are things that hold you back and stops you to go back to the studio. The most critical part of an artist is not only to know what they are creating but also to synchronously work with the tools and materials in hand. Create a relationship with them that is gonna last their lifetime. Sometimes when an artist stops working they kinda lose the skills that they had crafted and over a time period.

The challenge here to give time and work a little bit everyday no matter what and say hello as often as we can to the materials. They are like close friends you lose touch and suddenly one day you call and talk for hours. The craft is important and the idea of art is also very important. One needs to understand first where is coming from and what does it trying to say.

Eye of the heart

Sometimes I wonder what is art really other than the hops and jumps and excitements. Maybe it's more of trying to know something that lies beyond the depth of what eye can perceive and understand. It's an exploration that we do outside which leads to a journey more inside knowing ourself knowing the limitation that lies between the vision and the end product. Understanding the tools and the opportunities that lie in front of us. As I look into more work of art sometimes it feels like most of it is superficial and a mere imitation of the world around us the inner journey of the artist got lost in the survival.

Living

This is an interesting photo and it's kinda true. We never really think about living that much until something drastic happens and we are forced to rethink life. When I was much younger I heard the elders said to live life happily and to give and receive as much as possible for it is really short. Never really understood what they meant. Maybe it's more about to feel the essence of life to really understand how much of a blessing it is to breadth live into all that we think and do. Live to live and leave even when you know you are not done.

Results of abstraction

I read somewhere recently about an interview with one of the student of Cecil Collins the visionary artist who used to teach at Central Saint Martin London. He was one of the unconventional teachers of the century who always taught his pupils to take the journey inside towards the divine truth.

The ways of working ambidextrously and using different unknown mediums and tools to experiment with music is very abstract and offset but somehow it raised the subconscious inside oneself and helps to reach and understand that art is not always about imitating thing or portraying something its more about letting our ego and to praise life through wonder and magic.

Doing with what we have

Going through life a lot of times it felt like may be we need more than we already have just to be like others , to portray what the western society project as perfect but we forget the idea of enough . Most of the time just enough is fine and keeps us happy in the bible it is written " Look at the ravens - they don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for god feeds them"

Today I was preparing food for a large party and I thought of times that I have done the same with very few utensils and little money . The lord have provided me the means to buy more stuff to have expensive kitchen gadgets and necessities but do I really need them. I had prepared the same dishes 5 years back without them and realized may be could have done with them. Over the years I have realized material things doesn't and can never give us peace only a sound peaceful conscious mind can.So the message for today is "We can really do a lot with what we have".

Finding yourself in what you do

When I initially started to explore paintings I  didn't knew what I was looking at and that it can quite significantly affect my work. One of the biggest mistake that anyone can do is to imitate someone else because you go tied of that in a short time and you get lost and out of track.

Formal training of drawing is essential and exploration helps to understand the role of art in society and our human life but to what extent the influence is a necessity that needs to be asked.

Over the years I have gradually learned its more of a journey inside than outside it's more than just mere momentary attraction. Back in India, I have seen people repeating the same things without any exploration but there is a lot to explore. It's a huge country with different religions and customs but most of the artists close the windows and paint and copy just what is around them. The works become extremely repetitive and boring.

Genuineness is rare

A sane heart

Flowers don't remain same neither does life keep peace in your heart that helps to move forward. If looking back hurts don't look back god didn't bless us the emotion of sorrow and misery we always have a choice choose him above everything and anything and ask for guidance . 

He is kind , loving and compassionate.

Accept the changes that life curves around you and always keep him in prayers he doesn't let one emotion to go waste keep faith and move on.

By the Window

Palingenesis

The word came to me a few months before I got baptized. I had no idea what it meant at that point. A few searches here and there lead me to the context of the word. I had been thinking of writing about my work for a few years now but life happens and it took me a while to get into a place where I am ready to write about my work and paraphrase my spiritual journey in its context.

To me, art always has been a retreat initially to understand the life around me and later as an ongoing journey inside. The practice had always lead to discovering more into what I see and perceive in the physical realms.I felt a big shift in my work once I started researching different faith books and contemplated more into what lies unrevealed into the subconscious. Knowing about the idea of the divine - them studying and acknowledging the idea took some time.

Growing up with a deeply religious mother in an existential Hindu background we were imbibed with the idea of the almighty from a very early age. But to me that was never enough there was always a search for the truth that burns brightly behind the curtains of the Hindu temple and religious monasteries. Ages and ages of notions, customs, and faux value systems lied on the other side of the curtain and it was really difficult to reach the truth.

Sometimes on very few occasions when I sat to paint I felt like there was a small peak into something that is so pure of love and compassion which the words can't describe - didn't knew what it was as a child what king of joy it was that finds you suddenly in a lonely afternoon, just a child who enjoys paintings or something which is far beyond that. Or a deep pleasure in the t activity. Life threw a lot of challenges and gifts. Both in joy and pain, I tried to get back to that peace inside me but was not able to it's not in my control I never knew how to cultivate that or how to find that when I needed that the most. I was much later in life when I found Christ I realized what the peace was about...Amen.