Day 2 - The Abstrack!

Dear Diary

Feliz Navidad!

Waking up to a Christmas morning in Spain can be quite exciting and I was really looking forward to the day. As I rushed to the studio at 10AM (yes, I took the liberty to get up late, and I missed my walk at the beach), the festivity and spirit could be felt in the air. I was surprised to see people walking down the street wishing me ‘Happy Christmas’ as well!

While it was officially a holiday, we had decided to paint till the afternoon and then head for the much awaited extravagant Christmas feast! We had planned to learn abstracts today. To be honest, I was nervous. While painting on the canvas for the first time was actually very exciting, abstract painting is very challenging.     

As a kid, I remember when my sister used to make an abstract design, I’d find it extremely hard to make a head or a tail out of it and I took my own time to start appreciating it. For most people [I realized this when I was showing my paintings to my (left brained :P) friends as well], they said “abstract art is probably not art.” “Does it serve a purpose?” “I can put any stroke on a canvas and say it’s abstract. Then what?”

So while I took on the herculean task to work on my first abstract painting, I was thinking about what I wanted to show, what colour combinations I wanted to use (bold or pastel or a mix), how I wanted to go about it. But unconsciously, throughout the process, I think it was this day when I truly learnt about ‘art’ and about ‘YOU’ being in a painting.

Abstract art, according to me, definitely has more freedom and shows a lot of passion and energy. But it’s not without rules or limits. Trust me, there is a lot of theory there too. And I got notes to read on it!

And more importantly, what’s the fun of painting what you see everyday? Real artists paint new pictures. They try to bring their artistic talent in what they do. And each of us needs a form or expression which is more than plain simple words! Are all of us artists? Well, maybe yes! We creatively express ourselves when we speak, when we write, when we tell a joke, when we decide what to wear, when we dance, when we paint.

Phew.

 

After the enriching lesson, we went to Beckitt’s Bar and Restaurant (a favourite among Marbellans). And, quite a feast it was. I will always marvel at the amount of time people spend on a meal (and a special 4.5 hours on Christmas) and relate it to the 10 minutes deadline dinner I’ve had in the first few days of my MBA.

3 things I learnt:

(a)  English on the menu should not be taken for granted. It is rare, possibly a Christmas blessing

(b)  Vegetarian is not a word in the European dictionary

(c)  Good food plus great presentation equals half a day of eating

Now follows my exotic feast

Duck Liver Paˆte΄ with toasted Brioche, apricot and cranberry compote

Fillet of Free Range Chicken with a cream pepper sauce and spring onion potato pure΄e

Christmas pudding with brandy sauce

 

By the end, I was just bucket full, hoping I would reach the studio on time the next day!

The Brush Up - Day 1

Dear Diary,

My first day in Spain was spent in high tide, both literally and figuratively! I got up at 7 AM, enthusiastic and excited, but I guess I was a little too early, for it was still dark outside. I looked out of the window of my hotel only to notice an enjoyable chill in the air and misty clouds along the skyline. Spain was indeed beautiful!

As the sun finally woke up to my excitement, a lady from Scotland (also enrolled on the course), and I, headed out for a quick walk to the beach. The sandy shores were just a two minute walk away, and though the horizon was hazy, minutely detailed sand castles along the shore were delightfully impressive! The water was clear, and the beach was surrounded by mountains – within an hour of sunrise, people were buzzing along the beach like it was a crowded market place with 80% sale!

10 AM, at the studio: I met Caroline (my teacher for the next one week), her son Alex, and the other four participants on the program. Most of them had been following art for quite some time and a few were looking for a retreat or break from corporate life. I was a little intimidated by their age and art-experience, and wasn’t sure if I’d be able to ‘fit-in’. Anyway, then began the first lesson..

I learnt that there is a big difference between decorative art (just for decoration) and fine art (tells a story or generates an emotional/intellectual response). A well composed painting is one which an onlooker won’t lose interest in, which has a focal point. Structure can be introduced into a painting by using the golden cross section rule (Divide your canvas into 9 parts, somewhat like a cross-n-knots game, and then begin with a focal point). Yes, Art is more theoretical than you thought!

Next, we went to the beach for a ‘practical’ class.. I wish we could do that in college! *sigh*

As we lulled along the beach, Caroline asked us to think of three words that describe the space around us. I think I thought of serene, calm, and blue. And then she asked us to take from the beach whatever intrigued us the most – it could be a flag, or a shell or the waves, or perhaps, a person? Anything would do.. I loved this freedom – coming from the world of grades, subjects and degrees, this seemed heaven.. miles away..

After coming back from the beach, we started work on ‘the first masterpiece’! The process was exhilarating.. right from choosing the right canvas to applying acrylic under paint, to composing, to even squeezing the tubes and mixing the paints, to finally watching colors come alive on canvas –was I elated! After all, it was just Christmas Eve, and my present was already with me. Looks like Santa started early this year :)

I also feel like there was something mystically encouraging about the studio ambience. Of course the paintings all around were inspiring, but the smell of paint perhaps, or the Da Vinci brushes.. or maybe the sheer innocence of beauty all around.. I felt like there was something about the studio that got you rolling up your sleeves and ready to take on the world with just a paintbrush!

And, so..with an unfinished painting in the studio and lots of paint on myself, I left for the day with the words of Caroline in my head “The aim is not to have a realistic picture, the aim is to have YOU in the picture.”

Couldn’t agree more.

And the journey begins...

All set. At the International Airport :)

Visa-aah and More

The first of all things to be planned were the dates (yes, that’s hard). So I ran around the office everyday trying to figure out when the end terms would end, that the dates wouldn’t suddenly change and hoping that, till then the seats at the program would last. Phew. Finally, it worked out perfectly. Endterms end on 21^st (a rather close call).

And that was followed by the bookings! Now that seemed easy. Well, maybe not. After dealing with all the possible errors and issues an online transaction could have given me (Yes, I ain’t an IT engineer), I finally succeeded.

And now comes the important step: The Schengen Visa!

As I arrange all the necessary documents, the passport size photograph with all requirements, the letters of proof, the flurry of activities is coupled with a range of emotions of excitement, anxiety, and the urge to experience all the surprises in store. And yes, most importantly reassuring my parents everyday that it’ll all work out fine.

So while I deal with Christmas and New Year’s (Read: Skyrocketing ticket prices), proof of address, health insurance etc etc, it is turning out to be way more enriching in every possible way.

"O how I long to travel back,

And tread again that ancient track!

That I might once more reach that plain,

Where first I left my glorious train,

From whence th' enlighten'd spirit sees

That shady city of palm trees."

Yes, the retreat is finally about to begin!

The Beauty and the Brush

I sometimes wonder what it is about painting that brings me so much happiness.

Is it the colors that holler on mute mode, or the strokes that guide my every move, or the thrill of giving form to freedom - any which way, the magic starts with just a stroke :)

As a child, I was fascinated with colors and their magic. I would actually talk to my paints, make sure my pencils (yes pencils HB, 2B, 4B, 6B and what not!) were in their favorite place, make friends with my mixing plate, and even wish my paintings a good day! (Yes, yes I know. I had my issues).

Starting with my favorite character Noddy, I started to appreciate art and learn as the years went by, marveled by the myriad shades and expressions a single color could bring. 

Those were the days....

But then, life has its way of shaking you out of your schizophrenia – as the stakes became higher, the strokes became weaker. In the rut of competitions, and the race of exams, the rosy reds quietly began to yellow down. Of course the memories lingered, now pushed backseat and asked to stay put.   

So, when Vandana and Mark(from Godrej Loud) asked us to think about what truly makes us happy, the painting bag hastily jumped up from back seat and took control of my journey.

And that’s that.

So I’m off to Spain for a painting holiday at Joe Daisy Studio, Marbella in a fully equipped studio from 23^rd December to 30^th December 2012!

Before I do that of course, there are visa processes, medical examinations, travel decisions, accommodation issues, budget caps to cater to! And of course, with exams, quizzes, the college fest, Brandwagon and every day sessions, life right now is a crazy mix of excitement, adrenaline and apprehension.

Did I forget to tell you that this Spain trip will also be my first alone-and-out-of-the-country experience? I AM excited. Wish me luck and wish me LOUD! :D