Beaches are therapeutic. The combined effect of the smell of the salt water, the gentle breeze and the sound of the waves cast a spell. I now live only minutes away from the beach and so I can get the beach therapy any time I want! When I stood in the Al Khuwair beach here in Oman and enjoyed the Arabian Sea, I realized that I had enjoyed the same sea from Mumbai! The thought of enjoying the sea from two different geographical locations was sort of exciting and was enough to pick up my long forgotten water colors :-)These are all done on a 7 by 10 inch water color paper. I have tried some simple washes, some times tending to abstract, mostly keeping the details to minimum, layering with colors a bit and trying to preserve the white of the paper.
When I close my eyes and think about the different beaches I have enjoyed, the very thought is a sort of renewal of my mood. The beaches here in Oman are serene with no or little people around. Not many waves, relatively a calm sea. A perfect place to meditate! The Chowpathy beach in Mumbai is a total contrast; here you watch people and not the sea most of the time! The number of people seems to be the same as the drops in the sea! All sort of enterprising businessmen who never went to any business schools sell Candies to balloons to carving your name on a rice grain and making a pendent out of it for your chain! A guy with a portable weighing machine sits on the sand and collects one rupee to check your weight! The beach that teaches optimism!The most memorable one till today has been the Marina beach, Chennai, where I built sand castles with my little son years ago and I can still feel the sand in my hands :-)
Great moments. Your colors inspire me.
ReplyDeleteYour watercolors are magnificent, Padmaja! I especially love the second and third pieces. There is a joy and melody to your writing that just makes me smile. I too have wonderful memories of when my daughters were little. The time just goes by so fast! What a blessing to be able to leave near the sea!
ReplyDeleteYour paintings are so beautiful and the words capture moods and memories that are as precious! You are indeed lucky to have such inspiring scenery,but I think you would find beauty in whatever surroundings you walk in ,and your philosophy of life is something I greatly admire.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you link your memories with your painting: it kind of makes the painting more beautiful and meaningful.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I climb the steps in my house,(which is very often)I see your painting in my lounge area, I remember you fondly and the few hours we spent together.
I am glad you are loving your life in Oman.
Love your post Padmaja. Your paintings match your writings beautifully!
ReplyDeleteWhat interesting contrasts between the warm sunset colors (top 2) and the cool blue shades of serenity conveyed in the others. Your words match your art beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI loved your story of the beaches and your paintings too of course! :) :)
ReplyDeleteBoth have made me long for the sea. I live inland and cannot visit the beach as often as i wish. The ocean does have a wonderful effect on our soul. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pantings and such a beautiful story Padmaja.
:( for some reason i cant see any of the pictures .. will check again when i reach home
ReplyDeleteBikram's
:) Refreshing the page worked ..
Deletebeautiful paintings I loved the colors used
and the third one two men fishing or something I loved the best
Bikram's
Your watercolors are beautiful! You certainly have mastered the wash. The colors glow. Your stories always take me to another place and I can imagine what it must be like there. Have ever considered put your images and stories in a book?
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with the therapeutic idea about beaches, and the waves are mesmerizing. You are so lucky to be living near by. Your watercolors are all stunning , different moods when the color changes, color is really everything isn't it. My favorite...I couldn't choose among the first three ...just fabulous!
ReplyDeleteAhh - the juicy colors!!! aren't you lucky to be living only minutes away from quiet beach :) Wish you many meditations by the sea and hopefully lot more wonderful paintings for us to admire!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful colors Padmaja.I like the mood you capture in your paintings.Great use of watercolors.
ReplyDeleteI recently had a chance to visit Mumbai chowpati beach and I absolutely agree with you.You get to see every thing except sea.:)
Bold colors, so full with life and creativity. The sky is amazing everywhere. Looks like it has its own, independent life in your paintings. Very symbolic.
ReplyDeleteWe miss crowd in a lonely place, we miss loneliness in the crowd. It is always like that in my life.
They are all so beautiful Padmaja, especially when you read a little story on each one. I love the strong vibrant colors on the first two...and the subtle ones following. I live by the bay but would love to live by the beach with the sounds of the waves...just sitting there meditating. It looks like you have wonderful memories in Marina Beach ..memories with your son has to be the best ones.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you are to be at a stones throw from an enchanting and quiet beach.Beaches and the sea vary in their moods-beautiful,awe inspiring and sometimes scary too.It varies in their appearance depending upon the time,dawn,midday,evening or night.You have in your collection that you have displayed brought out the wondrous moods so faithfully in vibrant colours.Glad the sea view from your window spurs you to wield the brush and express yourself
ReplyDeleteamma saya "sikkapate ishta aaite!! tumbha chennagide.. miss u"
ReplyDeleteEvery single one of these have me caught up in the moment, Padmaja. I especially love the sky in "Built with Love". The line work in "The Catch" is awesome! I love line! Beautiful watercolors.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly beautiful creative burst! I love these, Padmaja. What a joy it would be to live by the sea and have that constant inspiration AND the ability to create these wonderful paintings.
ReplyDeleteI want to go to ALL of those places! Wonderful paintings. You've been very productive!
ReplyDeleteHappy Painting,
Nora
Wow, they are al great and the first two are my favorites!
ReplyDeletewow Padmaja, each painting is a beautiful expression of beach life and your feelings about it! Loved the colors, and lots of people great composition in each one. Above all a great feeling to see your paintings.
ReplyDeleteThese paintings left me speechless just loved themmmmmm
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like walking barefoot in the sand as the waves roll in on the beach and your paintings take me there. This is good because I live in the middle of the U.S. where there is no beach. Your beach works are all wonderful. I can hear the waves right now.
ReplyDeletenice beach paintings...
ReplyDeleteYou are really restless. So many works in one go. My favourite is The Morning Flight. The washes are lovely. Great work.
ReplyDeleteYou have added life to these amazing paintings of the sea, and could visualize your writing having seen Jumeriha beach in Dubai:)
ReplyDeleteI find beaches so calming too- love these!
ReplyDeleteThey are all so nice but I am partial to the red skies.
ReplyDeleteoh my these are beautiful. Beaches are my favorite place to be too. There's just something about moving water and sand underfoot! I'd love to step into each one of these paintings...
ReplyDeleteHad heard about the therapeutic effect of the sea and the beach.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I believe in it after reading the book Kontikki.
Lovely paintings especially the one of fishing.
Ooh! They are all so nice. Love them all.
ReplyDeletefantastic paintings...now I feel I went to the beach!
ReplyDeleteGreat work ...my favs are 'to be in stillness' and 'Morning flight'.
ReplyDeleteThese are all so beautiful! Your talent for making the colors flow is wonderful. They all seem so soothing and inviting to me. I'm laughing about the 'check your weight' guy. Does he really get any business? I think getting my weight checked would spoil the beauty of the day!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your paintings and your thoughtful beach-themed meditation!
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