Baul singers

The baul singers of shantiniketan 

This acrylic painting was conceived during a visit to the mela in shantiniketan . This also lead to the series of paintings on the unknown Indian dances of eastern part.

      The baul singers dance and sing with abandonment wearing bright patchwork loose clothes with dholak and tabla and ektara , the one string instrument. Baul actually means "one who is possessed or mad" . This painting captures the detachment of the sanyasis and the wild abandonment with which they sing . The rural Bengal background with tall trees and red mud and the mystic surroundings. Bauls are nomads and celebrate celestial love with songs and dance. It's mesmerizing to watch . The rosaries around their necks flying around and the ghunroo adding to the music and beat when they dance . 

Morning prayers

This is a painting I did last year in acrylics.A man praying to the sun early in the morning, before his routine morning walk by the lake.
     Since I have started painting in acrylics I wanted some depth in the canvas.I could not gauge my own paintings .The more time I spent with them ,I got attached to them and felt like a mother to my creations.Nothing was wrong with the paintings.Finally I took a call and painted in just black and white to see whether the depth is there in them without any colours. This was very tough for me.I love colours. I think all Indians love colours. We have a festival of colours called Holi , which like all Hindu festivals is accompanied with songs , dance and offering to Gods. The mourning is depicted by loss of colours by wearing white. So not to use any colours on the canvas was like meditation .all about concentration .That is how this painting was born.