There is something sacred about sand.

It is abundant near water. It is abundant where there is no water.
It sifts through if you try to hold but leaves a few grains behind if you let go.
It looks like a dull color of gold but see closer you find colors breathtakingly bold.
It is magic. It is real.

And it continues to remain mysterious and elusive, giving us a lifetime of discovery and delight in every grain of sand.

Serenity - A Moment in Time - 24" x 24"

Working with sand is at a different realm altogether. Brushes and knives dont seem enough.  The sand with its dunes, soft peaks, and patterns is a mesmerising medium… we only have to follow the way of the sand. It is like working with someone who has a mind of its own. The artist becomes an apprentice.

This abstract nature landscape painting was made from a salvaged canvas that had a green abstract.
But it never felt complete.

The sand did to it what I could not. It raised the work to another dimension. Touch it and you will know how.

When the sea of humanity rises, there is no looking back…
Be it a cry against injustice, a prayer in unison or a plea to end this life.

Rise you O sea - Oil on Paper - 18"x12"

In this darkest hour,
I am filled.

Rise you, O’ sea
Drown me. Drown me.

I am ready for the morning.

Invitation by Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery

Monsoon 2011 – an art event by the Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery – Mumbai, is a series of group exhibitions by various artists from all over India.

Paintings and sculpture in various media by established and budding artists from the corners of the country, is exhibited in a phased manner. My painting, Yellow Summer is also a part of the show.

The exhibition is divided in 4 sessions to cover the range of works contributed by artists from all over the country.

Three sessions are over. The fourth session of Monsoon Show 2011 is to commence on 4th August, 2011.

Artists and Art Lovers in Mumbai, please visit the gallery to see the artworks in person at:
Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery,
Bajaj Bhavan, Ground Floor,
226, Nariman Point, Opp. INOX Cr2,
Mumbai – 400021
India
Phone: +91 9820019264

Monsoon 2011 Group Artists Show

What happens when you come across a painting that suddenly seems to look unusual and arresting at the same time? Your heart skips a beat and you tend to take a closer and longer look. You know it is a landscape but there is more to that. A few minutes later, you are in love with its colors, depth, texture, story and strokes.

This happened to me when I chanced upon Bernard De Wolff’s portfolio of sand textured oil paintings that ranged from landscapes, figurative, abstract, nudes, cityscapes and more. His unifying thread was sand mixed with oil colors, giving rise to sensual and touches-me kind of textures.

Bernard’s method is simple. Oil + sand + canvas = magic

Having gone crazy over his portfolio, I had the wonderful opportunity to interact with him and discuss his works. The more he told spoke about the sand in oils, the more intrigued I grew.

I was plagued by doubts over this technique. It was hard for me to think of holding up a heavy medium such as sand with oils alone. What if the sand falls down? How can a stretched canvas hold the weight? What happens after it dries? Does it have a shortened life span? And more…

But Bernard has been kind and patient all along. As much as he explained, he urged me to try. To try what he has mastered and to see how it really works. Deep inside the doubt, I was convinced that it was possible. That sand adds not only its weight and texture, but also its strength and soul to the painting. But I had to try it myself.

And so was born this little landscape with some sand, lot of oils, heart-pounding doubts and hopeful convictions.

Sand Textured Landscape Painting in Oils

Untitled Sandscape
Mixed Media on Canvas Panel
12” x 16”

Brushes were wasted, knives were abandoned and hands were put to a good use – to feel and to convey. It was one the most memorable experiences I’ve had. The thrill of trying this sand painting technique, mixing of sand and oils, seeing the unique texture imparted on canvas, has been great. . The colors transform into interesting shades because of the sand. The texture is totally new and the depth is surprising. The painting urges you to touch it, with eyes and fingers. You cant help but feel the itch to touch the grainy surface.

Texture to Touch

How to paint with sand and oils on canvas:

1. It can be quite messy to work with this at the beginning, until you get the hang of mixing and applying this fascinating media.
2. Having got over the euphoria and goosebumps, sieve the sand if you want a fine and even texture on the canvas.
3. Mix sand into the oil colors on the palette. I later realized that pouring sand on oils, directly on canvas helped me spread the mixture better and gave me a better control of the texture and effect that I wanted.
4. If you need to add more color in specific areas, apply the oils directly onto the canvas. The colors stand out on the background of texture.

Notes:

• I could not have imagined sand being stuck to the canvas, without a fixative. But it does. Yes Bernard, it works.
• The painting itself becomes very heavy with this texture. The entire weight increases in proportion to its size.
• I don’t think these canvases can be rolled at all. Im have not tried it.
• The paint mixture remains gooey for many days on the canvas. As a large quantity of oils is used, it takes a very (very very very) long time to dry. The canvas panel on which I attempted this landscape is still drying.

Sand textured painting in acrylic media
You can follow the same procedure with acrylic paints but I did not attempt it as I cannot feel acrylic as much as oils. But for beginners, I guess it would be the best media to experiment with. So let me know how you did it.

Gracias Bernard.
Thank you Bernard for urging me to take the plunge… for things are not the same anymore. Now, these paints speak a different language. They are no longer the delicate wisps of colors that I knew all along. These paints are now the muscle of the painting.

And for those who want to see what his paintings are like, please click here for Bernard de Wolff stunning creations in sand and oils.

The State Gallery of Fine Arts (SGFA) - Hyderabad had organised a five-day ‘Art Mela’ from June 26th 30th 2011. This event was conducted for the first time by SGFA and has attracted around 100 artists who have submitted their works in various media ranging from figurative, floral, abstracts, native, decorative and a lot more.

Eventful Week at the SGFA Hyderabad

Apart from the art mela, there were other events in the gallery space. Whilst the art mela posters promised a host of events un-related to art such as tattoo shacks and chat stalls…. thankfully, there were none. We all were relieved that it was only about art.

The inauguration was a solemn affair. Like always, this ceremony gives everyone a wonderful opportunity to interact with some artists and therefore there is a face to place, whenever we see a nice artwork.

Lamp Lighting - The First Art Mela of SGFA 2011 Hyderabad

There were around 6000 paintings on display, certainly a lot to look and choose from. For a serious art browser it would take 2-3 days to go through the piles of mounted and unframed artworks on canvas, paper, wood and other media. Each artists was allotted a display table (with a table number) wherein their art works were stacked. The artist name was not displayed. And we wonder why!

Artists CB & Santosh Bhole with my abstracts

The event went smooth. People frequently dropped in to check out the artworks.

Since most of the works were un-framed, on paper, etc.,  There was a great danger of artworks getting spoilt. The artworks were simply kept on the display tables, ready to be handled by anyone and everyone. Many artists were not satisfied with the display arrangements and tried to display their works against the walls.

But come rain or shine, the show must go on. Beyond this initial hiccups and disappointments, there were some really great works amongst the heaps. Some of the works were stunning.

Understandably, since this was an art mela, many chose to display their old works… as most of their paintings were a clear departure from their style which is now more pronounced.

Here are some of the works at the gallery:

Some native artworks in brightest of colors.

Indian Art on Wood Panels

Some abstracts of mine, unframed.

Abstract Artworks

Some striking floral abstracts which I had dug out from under a heap. Who is this artist?

Beautiful Floral Abstracts

One day in the life of the SGFA art mela.

Art Mela 2011

This first-of-its-kind show ended well. Some artists sold their artworks. Some artists made new friends. And some artists learnt a bit more about the art of art events.

If you had been to this show as a participant or to see the artworks, do share your experience with me.