Targets for April

I plan to accomplish the following things in April:

• Complete 100 small paintings


• Complete 500 km cycling


• Work properly 20 hrs every week


• complete 75% of Sapna's commission.


• Blog the commission as a step by step process.


• Blog daily paintings daily and do not accumulate.


• Do not miss workout even on a single day.

Lofty targets, aren't they?! I reckon April is going to be the first month I am going to be rested to the extreme and I do not want to lag behind on any of the things viz. Work, Workout, Art and Blogging. And of course home. Let's see how it goes. As of now, my plan is like this:

• Work from 4 to 7.30 every morning


• Workout from 9 to 11.


• Work again from 11 to 1.30


• Paint from 2.30 to 6.30


• Spend time with Guglu from 6.30 to 8.30


• Blog and update website and other online stuff till 10.30

This would essentially mean I'd have to completely stay away from timepassing activities, which is great. Nothing better I say! And if I accomplish all of these, I treat myself to something significant on May 1st. Way to go! :)

Cycling 20kms

Cycled 20 kms at a stretch yesterday. The fields were so windy, I was wondering if I was going to topple off with the cycle. Just kept at it though, and in the end it was worth it. Felt awesome! I am somehow able to push harder and stretch myself really well with every other workout except running. Running just doesn't seem to work at all, though I am not giving up yet. Have started some longer distance cycling mainly to strengthen my legs and give another shot at running. And then I hope to be able to switch freely between running and cycling. And well, its been more than a year since I went for a swim, and that's at the back of my mind too! Too many things, too little time!

Iris #25

Iris #25
Palette Knife on board, 5 x 7 inches
© Nithya Swaminathan

Iris #24

This one has crazy folds, that I had a tough time bringing about with a knife. Tough holding your temptation to just grab that brush and set things right. With this whole series and all the knife work, I am really enjoying the drift from realism. I soon plan to try something completely different from realism, an abstract piece maybe. I am just working on some ideas. The knife and colors bring in a semi abstract feel to these flowers as well and I really like it. Great fun!

Iris #24
Palette Knife on board, 5 x 7 inches
© Nithya Swaminathan

Let me know your comments on this one!

Iris #23

When I started doing these flowers with the palette knife, I was just getting accustomed to the knife after a gap of years. It all began with those red tulips last month. By doing more than 30 or so pieces in quite a short span of time, I now feel really good using the palette knife and am completely at ease with it. So I am making a conscious effort to reduce the little bit of brushwork that I did in the Iris paintings. This one has very very less work with the brush, I could achieve all the detail I wanted almost exclusively with the knife. And I am pleased with that. I hope to do a piece where I do not have to use a brush at all, let's see.

Iris #23
Palette Knife ob board, 5 x 7 inches
© Nithya Swaminathan

Let me know what you think of this one!

Iris #22

And the Cobalt love continues with this one as well.. Your feedback is welcome! :)

Iris #22
Palette Knife on board
© Nithya Swaminathan

Iris #21

During one of my recent visits to my stationary store, I picked up a tube of Cobalt Blue. I have not had one for quite some time now, and had not felt the need really as I have Cerulean and Ultramarine in my palette. Furthermore, at one point it seemed like anything I painted was only red, so I did not even bother about other colors. However, since I have kinda expanded my subjects now, I just picked up this tube and this painting is an indulgence in Cobalt blue.:) It also has a touch of violet, but is largely Cobalt. And I really like this one. What do you think?

Iris #21
Palette Knife on board, 5 x 7 inches
© Nithya Swaminathan

Iris #20

With all these flowers over the last month or so, I am very comfortable doing them now and am all set to tackle a big canvas with a floral. It will in all probability be an Iris, though I haven't decided on a composition or anything yet. I might just do an image with two or more irises, after all these solo pieces in the smaller size.:) A pink beauty probably? Or a bright yellow like this one below? I seem to love all of them and just cannot decide which color to go big with. Anyway that shall be decided soon and the painting will get underway. Until then, small paintings are all that I have to show.:)

Iris #20
Palette Knife on board, 5 x 7 inches
© Nithya Swaminathan

Your feedback is welcome.

Iris #19

I was on a spree with these Irises last month, and did 18 of them within a span of a week or so. At one point I was doing 5 paintings a day. And then I kinda got a bit saturated and gave myself a break. I wanted to do 2 more to make them 20 pieces in all in the series and then move on to something else. But then, I changed my mind. The dancers were a good break and I loved them too. I then stumbled upon some more gorgeous references of these flowers, and I was hooked. I have started a dozen more irises, in every possible color. 30 paintings in a series is something I have never even dreamt of before, and that too of a flower. It is indeed unbelievable for me, but I am really having fun and hope to do more.

Iris #19
Palette Knife on board, 5 x 7 inches
© Nithya Swaminathan

And well, though I ain't yet bored of painting this stunner of a flower, I certainly am bored of coming up with titles for each. So I shall stick to numbers I guess! Your feedback is most welcome, along with any good title suggestions too :-)