Second half of 2010

Since 12th July,2010,I was in Wayland with my grand daughter Amie for almost ten weeks. This time,I found Amie playing more independently.She had developed keen interest in music and reading.She picked up a few songs from the movie Sound of music just after watching it a couple of times and requested me to teach her 'doe a dear' on the piano.She could play the entire tune using only one finger.

We did some paintings together, built a little puppet theatre inspired by the lonely goatherd song, stitched a cloth doll and wrote and illustrated a story together for Baba’s [Amie’s father/my son] birthday.All along we had to maintain secrecy as it was meant to be a surprise for Baba.

The collage above used to be in my room in Wayland. The sunflower in the collage was done by her as she sat next to me while I was painting mine.

This movie below is the digital version of the book  created by Amie and me.

       
Here are a few works in pencil drawing, water colour and pastel which I did during my stay.

                From Mamoni's garden

             Amie in Cape Cod  

         Swan pond- Cape Cod                     

                                                                       

                                                               Ellora and Amie watching a movie in Cape Cod                   

After returning to Singapore, I  tried out a few watercolours on a theme close to my heart and was happy with the outcome. Every time I visit my children and grand child, I return feeling fresh and regain the initiative to create something new. I decided to show those pieces to an art gallery in Singapore. They liked my work and told me to work on the same theme for a solo exhibition. I had to travel to India for two weeks in October, but on my return to Singapore, I signed a contract with the gallery and decided to go for a solo exhibition to be held from 7th May till 17th May 2011. I was away from Singapore again from end of November 2010 till the first week of Jan 2011. I started working on the project from 3rd week of Jan and have completed eleven works in acrylic on canvas the size ranging from 24”x30” to 40”x50”. I am quite satisfied with the progress.

Though I can’t post my works here, I can share a few things I learnt from the experience. I knew that I had taken up a challenge to do something very special and unique. It involved a lot of thinking along with a test of not only my painting and drawing skills but above all my ability to compose. I wanted to blend classical and contemporary spirit in order to display my interpretation of poetry written a century earlier and bring out its relevance in the present context.

I hope my readers will now understand the reason for my long silence and will bear with me for a few more days.Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful part of my journey.