Going Green!

I have never been in a tropical forest, but when I read descriptions of some, this is what I can see with my mind’s eye...Lush green foliage in different shapes, sizes and shades...Greens so bright yet balanced that no other colour is needed to break it...Green that creates a fresh tranquil atmosphere for the body and the soul...Green to me is by far the most relaxing colour. It is pleasing to the eye and to the mind. It encourages a natural calm and brings a sense of serenity and peace of mind...



Photo by: Dita



Although green is the most relaxing colour to the eye, it has historically had some very contradictory meanings. To some green symbolizes hope and growth, while to others it is associated with death and sickness. The most common associations, however, are found in its ties to nature. On the one hand green is associated with regeneration, fertility and rebirth while on the other it is used to describe anyone young, inexperienced, or gullible! Wonder whether it would be a complement to call somebody green because she is young and naive or would she take it to be a derogatory comment because it implies that she is gullible and inexperienced?

Whatever the case maybe we cannot discount the fact that green is the favoured colour of interior designers because of its calming nature. Even though it may mean different things to different people it no doubt has a relaxing effect to the eye and to the mind and is therefore often preferred.

Photo Courtsey:

http://www.theinnovationdiaries.com/1795/go-green-at-home/

Another obvious thing that pops into my mind as I speak about green is GOING GREEN!!! I try to be good and do my bit to reduce my carbon footprint and encourage I&J to do the same... 5 things that I  try to do on a regular basis are:

1.I switch off lights behind me

2.I don’t keep the tap on when brushing my teeth and take quick showers (well I can’t actually afford longer showers for other reasons as well)

3.I do not drink bottled water.

4.I do not put batteries or electronics in the trash and

5.I make good use of the recycle bin

I hope that one day, when I am able to plan my dream trip to a tropical oasis to enjoy the tranquillity and peace of mind; I will be content in my mind that I have done my bit to save the forests! What do you do to reduce your carbon footprint? Do you do all of the above (obvious and very easy ones) and some more?



Free-desktop-backgrounds.net

Blue...

On our several drives up the Great Ocean Road, I often tried to capture the brilliance of the blue seas through my lenses....but every time I laid down on my stomach on the edge of a jutting cliff to click away, I always ended up with bits of wild foliage sticking into the frame. This painting is a celebration of the mirth of those dancing leaves and branches which were often times just weeds in the crazy sea wind...

Photo By: Dita

Blue was a latecomer among colours used in art and decoration. Warm earthy colours like reds, browns, and ochres are found even in Paleolithic cave paintings but not blue. Even when man started to dye fabrics, blue was the last colour to be introduced. This is probably due to the difficulty of making good blue dyes and pigments. The earliest known blue dyes were made from plants like woad in Europe and indigo in Asia and Africa. Blue pigments on the other hand were made from expensive minerals like lapis lazuli or azurite. It therefore slowly became a luxury colour and was used sparingly until synthetic ways of creating the colour was introduced. Oriental vases, with their beautiful blue scroll work, are by far my most favourite bit of tangible history that features the colour blue.

Photo Courtesy: Chinese-treasures.net

Artists recognised the emotional power of blue and often made it the central element of paintings.  Washed out shades of it, is often used to create a melancholic mood along with green with no warm tones at all. I wonder if this has any link to the etymology of the phrase ‘Monday Morning Blues’!

I however, do not believe in washed out shades, neither do I dwell in melancholy! Blue to me is the brilliance of the sea in the sun, the depth of the sky on a perfect day...it is the sense of ‘ahhh’ that I feel when I look out of the window of my car in a road trip and I remember, when we were little and Ma Baba used to take us to the city in the local train...I used to sit by the window, gaze out into the open sky and get lost in my world of imagination...it was this blue! ...the brilliant blue that still gives me a sense of comfort and makes it easy for me to quickly forget the mundane day to day and get lost in my world....the world that is always bright, happy and NOW brimming with memories...



Photo Courtesy: Aurobindo Banerjee



Yellow...the sunny colour?

I often make mini sketches on anything that I can lay my hands on. Be it on the back of my Metro Ticket or on a notebook while attending boring meetings or simply on my hand while watching a not so interesting movie! On one glorious bright day while I was waiting for the kids to finish off their last few minutes at the park I sketched away on the back on my grocery bill. I was not feeling that bright and glorious though, because of few things that were worrying me.  Then suddenly I got impatient, as if I could not wait a second until I got it out of me. I drove the kids back home and ended up painting this! ...Later that day I assessed my problems, drafted a plan to logically tackle them and took the first step towards resolution...



YELLOW Photo by: Dita



Yellow to me is the bright side of the truth of life...it is the sense of awareness of me and my surroundings...it is a relief from the dark...an easy target to set and focus on. Although traditionally the colour yellow has never been used in a positive sense, my mind somehow denies the idea of it being symbolically associated to cowardice, aging, caution, criminal activities and even pornography! To me it is what I feel when I have set myself a clear goal and am looking forward to reaching it. It is the state where suddenly everything falls into space and I know exactly what I am after.  It is the morning after a long night. It is that part of the journey which almost ensures a happy destination. No wonder I love the fact that smileys are yellow! :)

Did you know that even yellow coloured foods are very good for you? It almost has an effect similar to what the sun has on earth! With an abundance of vitamin C yellow coloured super foods help your heart, vision, digestion and immune system. Which yellow food is your favourite?

Photo Courtsey: Google

The Rainbow

The Rainbow has always been a thing of mystery and awe!...To some it is the path made by a messenger from heaven to earth, to others it is a slit in the sky sealed by a goddess. Whatever the belief is, the rainbow always seems to connect the known to the unknown, the real to the unreal. And, the end of the rainbow is a secret hiding place for the pot of gold. A place that is impossible to reach...


Photo Courtesy: Zazzle.com

My passion for colours and painting is my secret hiding place of my ever-bursting emotions. It is where I make the in-tangible tangible, the unknown known...it is where I can say that orange is the pure sense of joy that I feel when I&J give me a warm hug, it is where I can say that red is the love I feel for M when he unloads the dishwasher, it is where I say that purple is the secret desire of my heart and blue is the the fresh scent of spring!



THE RAINBOW COLLECTION Photo By: Dita

I am not in search of the end of the rainbow...I am here to enjoy the journey. The journey of life which I prefer to see through rainbow lenses. And I will share with you every colour of life, the ups and downs, the goods and the bads, the defined and the abstract!

In tune with all of this I have named my first ever formal collection of paintings - The Rainbow Collection. On the left is a sneak peek of what is to follow in my next posts.