How did it all come about?

How did I get started ?

I believe each one of us has an artist hidden within us in some form or the other. I call myself an ‘amateur‘ artist. As with no formal training in art, I started to learn the ropes from various artists on the internet.

When I was in NY, I used to paint as a hobby. After that, for 35 years, I did not pick up a brush. No reason for stopping. Life is a journey and learning. I got busy with raising a family and pursuing other interests. Losing my mom was and is hard. My two beautiful daughters, who are my inspiration and strength, encouraged me to start painting again. Both my daughters are very successful in their own professions. One as an interventional cardiologist and other as a entertainment lawyer. I admire how hard they work, and are passionate about it. I thought true respect to them would be if I took their advice and got productive and put my aching heart to use.

Sketching and painting took hours on canvas to make some sense. The entire time I was not frustrated, instead I felt closer to my mom.

I started with acrylic on newspaper and magazine background on canvas ( I hope to share the techniques in future blog).

How to even get started?

I started researching various forms of artist paints, brushes and canvas. Types of oil paints, mediums and paint thinners.

I spend several hours on YouTube and tutorial videos on how to get started. There is an ample amount of information. One just has to have a curious mind and be prepared to put in time.

I would go to art supply stores and ask a lot of questions about oil and acrylic paints.  Watercolor did not interest me at all.

I started to researching in books on how to sketch as I knew I needed help on it. I started to read about various artists and their art. Here are a few of my favorite phrases I learned:

“A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience.” ~Mark Rothko

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

Some of the most famous artists of all times are worth reading about are:

Leonardo da Vinci was identified as a genius. His famous masterpieces are the ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Lady with the Ermine’.

Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the high renaissance. Hi most famous work that comes to mind is the stunning frescos painted on the ceiling in the Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel.  Another one at the chapel is ‘The Last Judgement’.

Till next post, stay well and bring your inner child alive.

Minu V