Lookology

Painting a Memory

In 2013 I was fortunate to travel to India for a wedding and spend ten days exploring this remarkable country. The trip was memorable on many levels, especially sharing in the joyous wedding of people we love and seeing the country through their eyes.

From an artist's perspective, India is undoubtedly one of the most visually compelling places you could ever hope to see. Once you are able to turn down the volume, aromas and chaos you can focus on the ultra-vibrant colors that populate this region.

In the photograph (on the right) we had stopped for lunch during our camel ride adventure at a location in Rohet. While we enjoyed icy cold drinks and catered lunch I was fascinated by the women working busily at the water's edge. At first I felt guilty under the luxurious shade of the tent, but as I watched the women I could see the playful interactions between them and the laughter from them was refreshing.

Even on this steaming hot day, they were layered in gorgeous, patterned clothing. The silky head wraps were nearly transparent and cast a soft, tinted glow over the other layers adding to the complexity of colors. In my pastel painting (on the left) I worked to capture the vibrancy of the fabrics as they appeared against the neutral foreground of the dust and dirt. What was most fulfilling about this process was the opportunity to use pastel colors that generally don't see alot of action. Especially in this combination. While creating this artwork I found myself sinking back into the memory of that day and enjoyed reliving the unique experiences we had in India.