My First Multi-Panel Painting...!!!

While browsing my phone's Gallery yesterday, I saw this - my first multi-panel painting. 

About a year ago, Khushboo and Ankit asked me if I could pull off something like this for their baby www.spectrahut.com, and since the first instance, I was totally game. I am an impatient person, and the only reason I wanted to work on this project was because I believed that it could instill some patience in me. 

For the first time, I worked in layers and the complete journey was Zen. It took me about two weeks to come up with the final thing, which still was almost a year ago, and I am so surprised at myself it didn't yet made it to the blog.

So here it goes...And if you are interested in its art print, you can find the link below.

http://www.spectrahut.com/handpainted-wall-art-paintings-flower-painting.html

Thank you everyone for your encouragement! And once again, thanks a lot Khushboo and Ankit, for making me do this...!!!

Less is More...!!!

A few days back, the idea of minimalism got stuck into my head, because of reasons unknown and unsought.  But what I liked most about this concept was the beauty of simplicity. Underrated, maybe cliche, but so powerful!

Now, 'Minimalism' is a big concept in the world of art, with a history that dates back to early 1960s when it was born in New York as a reaction against 'Abstract Expressionism' which again is another big theory of its own.

Since I don't intend to wander in those territories here, I just wanted to share the following paintings which for me are a very happy reminder that things of beauty, no matter how simple and 'un-complex', are a joy forever, and that beauty, indeed, lies in the simple things of life. These paintings use at the most 3-4 colors, and some very basic outlines.

Take a look:

Childlike..? Yes! 
Naive..?? Yes again!

I am head over heels in love with the Childhood part of life, mine or anyone else's. No doubts then that G.K.Chesterton's quote: "when being a child stops being fun, then I will grow up" continues to be the ruling philosophy of my life. 

"Childhood" is the most uncomplicated time in our lives, where anything and everything mesmerizes us. Everything is possible and doable, all dreams achievable and everyone lovable. There are no unnecessary strings in the mind and heart that may entangle the soul later on. There are no convictions formed by loaning other's opinions. Whatever is, is original and novel. All is pure and unadulterated, or at least that is how it appears to be, and life is bliss. 

Isn't this how we really want our lives to be? Just Love, Laughter and Life. Simple, and therefore beautiful. Uncluttered, and therefore organized. Less, and therefore so much more!

Stay a child, everyone...!!! 

November Love...!!!

The month of November is a very special time of the year for me. Two years back, this was the month that totally changed my life, and for good beyond imagination.

The following painting is my salute to the effervescent spirit of this month, and to everything that I am so grateful for!

It is a 12" by 16", acrylics on Canvas. Inspired by SF based artist Nidhi.

May Love Prevail...!!! (Or should I say 'November Love... ' ;))

Stay Blessed Everyone.

Rhythm Therapy...!!!

Once again, I will let the hues do all the talking.

This time, it is 7" by 16", Water colors on paper.

Enjoy the beats, y'all...!!! 

Life - One Cup At A Time...!!!

May has been one hell of a month for me, braving the heat, travel and emotions. One thing, that helped me pull myself together time and again, was this painting I completed a short while ago. 

It is a 12" by 16", Acrylics on Canvas.

Stay Blessed Everyone!

11 Easy Hacks to make you Richer in the new Financial Year...!!!

We are just 9 days into the new Financial year. This is about time when the 'Financially Educated' plan their income allocation and tax structures so that they can reap the good results of their decision-making in the forthcoming year.

Now, "Financial Literacy" was a subject I often avoided in order to cloak my ignorance. But following Dr. David Schwartz's advice of "digging deep into the lesser known subject", I have now begun to enjoy this learning process. I am a fortunate soul to have people around me who are in good, stable stead to guide me through the financial-ignorance backwaters.

Given below are some tips, straight from the Teacher who I think is the biggest Financial Wizard I know in personal capacity. These tips are very basic ones, and are more like a gentle general reminder so that one can stay financially strong in the coming times. 

Here we go:

1. We all should save minimum 40% of our income.

2. We should keep 6 months expenses as an emergency fund. 

3. Minimum 20 times of our yearly income should be our retirement fund.

4. Cost of our house should not be more than 6 to 8 times of our family annual income.

5. EMI should not be more than 35% of our gross monthly income. ZERO IS BEST ANSWER.

6. We should have minimum Mediclaim of 5 lakh. 

7. Life cover should be Minimum 10 times of our yearly income. Ideal and cost effective is to take term plan.

8. Ideally 65 to 70% of our income should go for creating appreciating assets and rest for consumption. This will help ease pressure on us as we age.

9. Rate of returns should ideally beat inflation.

10. Rule of 72 & 115 :
How many years double or triple our money ?
* 72/Returns= double in yrs
* 115/ returns = triple in yrs.

11. 100 minus our age should be our equity allocation. It is the best asset class in the world.

Of course, there is no magic formula that can make you rich overnight. It s a matter of diligence, patience and conscientious effort. And many more of such things. :)

But then, as is rightly said, "Well Begun is Half-Done"!!

"Out of the Box Thinking" - A beautiful Story...!!!

Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant’s beautiful daughter so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant’s debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag.If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant’s garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

This is a story with a hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

“Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to think about them in a different way. The key is, "T H I N K".

If you liked this story… please give me a thumbs up, share it on Google+ or Pinterest, share with friends, family and children. You might spark a thought, inspire someone and possibly change a life forever!

So, Think and Think "Out of the Box"...!!! :)