Crimson Love

I have been drawing a lot of poppies lately and I'm not entirely sure why. 

I know the bright red makes me happy every time I look at it. I know the way the thin stem moves elegantly is poetry in itself. And I know that when I surround myself with them I can transport myself into a poppy forest with big giant poppies all dancing to the wind and me caught into one of those euphoric moments where everything is perfect, harmonious and beautiful. No better place than this.

Now if only one could hold on to this beautifully balanced moment for forever. 

No better place than this, available for purchase here

Poppy Love, available for purchase here.

Summer Poppies, available for purchase here.

Posing Poppies, available for purchase here

Poppy fileld, available for purchase here.

Wild Summer

I have been working on a new series of flower illustrations, more of a 'messy' bunch (and unlike my other very-put-together works).

The inspiration came from a lost dream. Last mid-summer we bought a packet of mixed wild flower seeds with beautiful pictures on it, and planted them in rows of colorful planters on our window sill outside. We waited and waited and waited for them to grow, carefully watering and all, but by the end of the season all we got were some sprigs of wild something - no flowers.

So I drew this colorful bunch looking wistfully at the now empty planters stacked outside my window.

Wild Summer, available for purchase here.

6 Lotuses

Aloha! I'm back from Hawaii and super tanned! 

We were in Hawaii for the last 2 weeks and it was fantastic. It has to be the most beautiful and happy place on earth. And the people are so nice and friendly.  

We went to 3 islands : Ohau, Maui and Big Island and did a range of activities from deep sea dives (scuba), hiking on a volcanic crater, admiring the acres and acres of lava fields,  snuba (Like scuba but with a hose instead of tank), snorkeling at the gorgeous hanauma bay, getting kissed on the lips by a beautiful macaw (really!), midnight strolls on the beach, drinking lots of Mai Tai's & passion fruit drink and of course eating really sweet tropical fruits - pink guava, mangoes, apple bananas (my now favorite fruit), pineapple and papaya... YUM!!

The best part was swimming with the giant sea turtles and not so good part was missing the lava flow. 

Now I'm all charged up and ready to get back to work. Let's talk about today's illustration. This lotus illustration was created before I left for my vacation.  The inspiration came from one of my favorite quotes from Bhagavad Gita - "One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus is untouched by water." I'm not a very spiritual person but, I think it's a beautiful way to live and possibly one of the few ways to a contented life. 

What do you think? Do you have favorite quotes that you live (or try to live) your life by?

6 Lotuses, available for purchase here

PS : Guess what? Turning 30 = Piece of cake!

Bulb Terrarium

When we were in Longwood Gardens a few weeks back, we spent hours sitting in the beautifully landscaped courtyard and gazing at the outdoor water lily display. Curved pools filled with inky water, slight breeze and the lack of mosquitoes (they use some cool fish in the ponds, that eats mosquito larve!) created the perfect setting to look at the exquisite water lilies, relax and get lost in thought. 

I came back wanting to create the same tranquillity at home with  my own lily pond or the next best thing - a lotus terrarium. Is that even possible in real world? Dunno, but in my world all it takes are a bunch of strokes and voila! 

Bulb Terrarium, available for purchase here. 

Calla Lily

These beautiful flowers that are technically neither calla nor lily (Who would have thunk!) look so much like modern art sculptures to me.  Here is a quick DIY tutorial to make paper Calla Lily.  I have only ever seen them in white but I'm told they come in several colors - pink, purple, yellow, orange and green. 

Here is my interpretation of how the colored ones look. What do you think? Have you seen them in color?

Calla Lily available for purchase here.

Snowdrops

The other day while looking for tutorials to make paper flowers for a project, I landed on this page with a great tutorial - Crepe Paper Crocuses and Snowdrops. The mouth watering cake decorated with delicate white Snowdrops prompted me to draw a colorful bunch of Snowdrops for myself. These gorgeous flowers symbolize new beginnings and hope mostly because they bloom at the end of winter and announce the approach of spring. 

Does anyone feel the drooping white bulb of Snowdrops look more sad than hopeful?

Snowdrops, available for purchase here.

Tulip Forest

Happy Thursday to you all! How is the week already over? I guess I spent way too much time outside and loved every minute of it! The mixed flower seeds we planted a few days back have germinated, yay! Now I'm waiting for the Cilantro to sprout. I'm told, good things grow for those who wait :D

Today the grass in the front yard is dotted with bright yellow flowers. Tiny flowers packed with hundreds of slim leaves. It is a beautiful sight! But, I guess they are weed flowers and will be mowed off pretty soon. What a pity. I'm playing around with the idea of doing a series on weed flowers. Bring the wild inside?

On the work front, I'm continuing to draw more flowers. I love how effortlessly graceful the blooms are and how I can almost smell their fragrance while drawing. Today it's Tulip time. This tiny little bird is taking a walk in a Tulip forest. 

Tulip Forest, available for purchase here. 

Have a great weekend!