Bamboo & Trees
The series of tree paintings derives inspiration from two sources.
The bamboo tree paintings take inspiration from the plant itself. The backyard of my house had a clutter of bamboo trees. Looking at them on an almost everyday basis, I found a close connect with this unique tree. The golden yellow bamboo with the green lines etched on it stood firm and rooted. I would spend a lot of time observing it till one day I decided to transform their beauty onto canvas.
Bamboos are a special plant, for they lay their groundwork in the initial days, giving us the impression of a small plant. However, once the groundwork is laid, they shoot upwards, rising higher than any plant. This unique trait lends it beautiful textures that are captured in these tree paintings. These tree paintings of the bamboo plant are very special to me as they were my first series of paintings followed by my first exhibition after I passed out of college.
The bamboo thus holds a special place in my heart and reflects through my art.
This series of tree paintings was inspired by my travels to Central Park, New York. In winters, the tree is stripped bare and the city asserts its presence through its naked branches. This brings out an eerie and cold feeling. I’ve sketched the beige and browns of the trees in my naked tree paintings, trying to bring out in them the same picturesque and colourful scenes as those of the trees in winters.
While the tree paintings of bamboo capture life and the greenery of nature, the naked tree paintings convey the journey of a tree after shedding its beauty, standing bare and strong in preparation for the cold winters.