daffodils...coffee...Swiss memories...new ideas

It's a lovely morning out here. The sun is dazzling in clear blue sky, revealing bright spring colors everywhere. The daffodils in our garden are splashing dashes of gold against glistening blades of green grass.

I have just varnished my recent painting Woman by the window, and now sitting on a garden chair sipping coffee. While keeping an eye on the painting so that it doesn't get toppled over in breeze, my mind drifted from today's colorful landscape to beautiful white dotted with black Swiss winter landscape, where we had been few weeks back. A white landscape has so much beauty and enigma.....all the colors are there yet we don't see them.

Woman by the window is my reflection from Zermatt - a beautiful car free alpine village nestled among tall snow covered mountains. That was a day like today when I was gazing at the landscape with a coffee mug in my hand, watched snow flakes slowly blanketing the village.

18 X 24 inches canvas panel
AVAILABLE FOR SALE 

One of my close friends M was asking me the other day whether I am going to paint a Swiss series. I had told her maybe not...today, I feel maybe yes....ha ..coffee is fueling  me with ideas....let me sketch and see what shapes up on blank canvas.....

Mountains...chants...ancient monk...positivity

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha...These days, I listen to Ani Choying Drolma while painting. I like to listen to her deep voice and the tranquil Buddhist music that plays along with her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP3YurOfqDY

Years ago, I had first heard Buddhist chants in a monastery in Kalimpong, India. Those mesmerizing sounds at the foothills of Kangchenjunga, have somehow etched in my mind that Buddha resides among the mountains. Mountains have always attracted me; I see a resemblance between them and Buddha... the serenity ...the silence... the peace.....and above all, their eternal presence in this world.

Recently, I was at Mt. Titlis in Switzerland; the clouds dancing past the alpine mountains slowly unveiled the peaks, and I saw this image of Buddha emerging from the clouds.

Being a mere mortal, I probably will never understand what exactly enlightenment means. I cannot even focus my mind to meditate; meditation sessions have never really tamed my distracted mind! But sometimes I do wonder, when I paint, maybe I meditate because I can bare my soul..I feel positive about life...

"The Enlightened One" - Acrylic on 16 x 20 inches canvas

"Sakyamuni" - Acrylic on 12 x 12 inches canvas

These two paintings are sold and no longer with me. These are images of Buddha that I hold close to my heart...the closed eyes, the meditating pose that seems to say believe in yourself, choose your path and find the truth yourself ...

Welcome...Bienvenue...Welkom...

Finally...decided to blog..although long ago, Ifemelu of Chimamanda's Americanah, had inspired me to pen down my thoughts in a web art journal. All this time, never got a way with words....

Anyway, today morning when I saw my orchid in the first rays of sun, I felt the plant was actually having a dialogue quite easily with its shadow. Lo behold! I got inspired! And so, here I am... writing gibberish. Maybe, one day when I am old and will look back at these musings of mine, I will have reasons to smile. Till then...

Looks like for the next few days, I will be spending time in designing this blog, posting my old paintings and writing about them, sketching a new idea that recently came to my mind and bringing it live on canvas....and just go with the flow of life...Om mani padme hum...