Over the hills to Shillong

Title: Over the hills to Shillong
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

How to Create and Appreciate Abstract Art! (Includes 8 Step Guide to Actually Create Abstract Art)

Before creating abstract art it is important to understand its meaning and use. We can broadly say that all art is either leaning towards being realistic or towards being the changed interpretation of reality as rendered by an artist.

By changed interpretation of reality, it can range from just a small change where the colour of the sky is changed from the actual light blue to say a green or can be a completely different interpretation of reality such as a cubist painting by Picasso, where he completely rearranges and drastically changes a woman's face. Both can be called abstract, though the first one is clearly very much realism and very little abstractionism, whereas the second one is very little realism and very much abstractionism.

Therefore we can safely say that art that is abstract, can be said to be the changed interpretation of reality as rendered by an artist (or any individual who creates a piece of art). This should give you a general idea of what this kind of art is, but more importantly it is the why of it that is the key to it all.

Why distort reality, why not reproduce it exactly as it is and make it look as close to the real thing as possible. Well for starters, we have cameras to do exactly that, and as for the critical reason for making art that is abstract, it is because when a great work of art is made in the abstract style, it becomes much much more than the reality it represents.

When we see a sky that has been painted purple and trees that have been painted yellow, our minds suddenly 'pop'. It's a world that we had never seen in reality, it's a world that opens up our minds to the infinite possibilities. Yes, to tell you the truth, I do strongly feel that the ultimate aim of abstract art is to bring out the Almighty in every thing. When an artist makes a shape that he feels is the right abstraction of an object as simple as a flower, then that piece of art becomes much greater than a flower. It becomes the idea of the flower rendered in the completely different perspective of that particular artist. As a viewer when we see that piece of art. It might not move us at all or it might move us to such a degree that we become entranced by the genius of it.

Taking up the discussion from the point where we state that such art opens up new worlds, we can even say that even science fiction is a form of abstract art. Art that is abstract is a very powerful thing when it strikes a chord with you.
Realism on the other hand can strike a chord with you but it will be on the level of realism, the conscious cogitative mind. Art that is abstract 'pings' your subconscious and in some cases even the superconscious minds. Not that there aren't exceptions. The Mona Lisa is realism, but there is something in it much beyond what is immediately visible. It is the 'X' factor that makes it a fantastic piece of art. Good abstract art always has this certain 'X' factor.

When you see some art that is abstract, it may not do anything to you, you may just see a shape and colours that are different but nothing more, however that very same piece of art may bring out deep feelings in another person. When a piece of art has the power to bring out deep feelings in a large number of people, it is a great piece of art. This appreciation and understanding of art is possible for everyone, it does not need any special training, it only needs an open mind. It needs imagination, something that everyone has.

Once you have opened your mind to this abstract concept, then creating such art is easy.

Here is an 8 step guide to creating abstract art:

1. Think of what you want to make. Let's take a flower vase.

2. Now, think of why you want to make it. Let's say you decide that you want to bring out the feeling of loneliness that an empty flower vase evokes.

3. This can be done by making a small vase in huge area, giving it an emptiness and therefore loneliness (which is almost a straightforward practical unimaginative way), or it can be done by making it in the abstract style.

4. Let us make an abstract rendition of the empty flower vase. In your mind imagine the flower vase, its shape, does the shape remind you of a woman. What would the pose of a woman who is pining away be.

5. Now without really trying to create a real flower vase, make bold lines on a piece of paper which reminds of a vase and a woman who is pining away.

6. Keep making the bold lines till you feel that your desire to make the lines has been satisfied.

7. What you have with you is your first piece of abstract art. May not be the best or even good, but it is your rendering of a reality called a flower vase into an idea which is not just a copy of the flower vase. It is art and it is abstract. It might not even evoke in you a feeling that it is a flower vase, but that is immaterial. You have opened your mind to the concept of abstraction.

8. Now whether you make more art, or you look at a piece of art that is abstract, you will have a slightly enhanced ability to discover and appreciate the 'X' factor in art.

So, go ahead and get into the wonderful world of abstract art, or at least give your self the capability to appreciate it.

Julie Andrews "My Favourite Things"

The iconic wonderful Julie Andrews tragically lost her voice in 1997 due to a throat operation that went wrong. Despite this tragedy, when she turned 69 on October 1st, to commemorate her 69th birthday, she appeared in Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall. And on stage, for the benefit of the AARP, she performed her own new version of "My Favourite Things" from The Sound of Music.

After the song, she received a standing ovation from the crowd that went on almost endlessly.


Here are the actual lyrics of the "My Favourite Things" song that she sang:


Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,

Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,

Bundles of magazines tied up in string,

These are a few of my favourite things.

Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,

Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,

Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,

These are a few of my favourite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,

When the knees go bad,

I simply remember my favourite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,

No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,

Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,

These are a few of my favourite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',

Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',

And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,

When we remember our favourite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I've had,

And then I don't feel so bad.


It definitely calls for an abstract portrait of the great and wonderful Julie Andrews... and you shall see it soon!

The Waiter Who Could Do No Wrong

Title: The Waiter Who Could Do No Wrong
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Paraphernalia

Title: Paraphernalia
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Sunny Skies

Title: Sunny Skies

Medium: Oil and acrylic paints on oil paper
Size: 12" X 9"
Date of creation: 2009 May

At the potter's wheel!

Title: At the potter's wheel
Medium: Oil and acrylic paints on oil paper
Size: 14" X 10"
Date of creation: 2009 May

The Illustrated Dictionary of Abstract Art word - 'aardvark'

Title: Dictionary Word - 'aardvark'
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Introduction Page to Dictionary of Abstract Art

Title: Introduction page to The Illustrated Dictionary of Abstract Art
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

THE ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF ABSTRACT ART

Title: THE ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF ABSTRACT ART
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

A political conversation - Digital Art

Title: A political conversation
Medium: Digital Art
Size: 1500 pixels X 1033 pixels
Date of creation: 2009 May

The Goat I Hate

Title: The Goat I Hate
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Something rings true!

"Nothing that you earn materially should come to you without being soaked in the sweat of your labor."

- Harivanshrai Bachchan

Its brighter here!

Title: Its brighter here
Medium: Oil and acrylic paints on oil paper
Size: 14" X 10"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Skateboarder

Title: Skateboarder
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Car AC Fixed!

Title: Car AC Fixed
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Free Abstract Art Font!

FIRST CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO GET THE REAL FEEL OF THE FONT!


To download this font, click here!


To install this font, first download the SanjeevSaikiaArt.ttf file to a folder of your choice. Please note where you have downloaded the file.


Now, on your desktop, just double click the 'My Computer' icon. Then double click on 'C Drive'. Inside 'C Drive', double click on the folder 'Windows'. Inside 'Windows', double click on folder 'Fonts'.


Now, click on the 'File' button on top left corner. From the drop-down menu click on 'Install New Font'. From the new pop up window, go to the folder where you had downloaded the SanjeevSaikiaArt.ttf file, and click on it and then click the 'Ok' button.


Now you can use this font in your word/powerpoint/coreldraw/photoshop etc.

Dripping with malice

Title: Dripping with malice
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Spiralling Heat Monster

Title: Spiralling Heat Monster
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Shoe for every leader

Title: Shoe for every leader
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Ascent of man

Title: Ascent of Man
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Wish that man was me!

There was a man who loved to drink from a stream that flowed through the middle of his head. He drank and drank, but suddenly one day the stream ran dry. That's when he discovered an ocean flowing all through him and all around him... an infinite ocean of infinite bliss...

Wish that man was me!

Today's Headlines "Galloping Swine"

Title: Today's Headlines "Galloping Swine"
Medium: Black ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 May

Barack Obama

Title: Barack Obama
Medium: Black ink on textured paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol

Title: Marylin Monroe by Andy Warhol
Medium: Ink on textured paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Fear of the Flu

Title: Fear of the Flu
Medium: Mixed media on textured paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Deserted Streetcorner

Title: Deserted Streetcorner
Medium: Ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh

Title: Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh
Medium: Ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Century Fox

Title: Century Fox
Medium: Ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

Title: Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
Medium: Ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Wonderful Lord Hanuman

Title: Wonderful Lord Hanuman
Medium: Acrylic paints and mixed media on oil paper
Size: 23" X 17"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Bewildered

Title: Bewildered
Medium: Indelible Ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Right or Wrong

Title: Right or Wrong
Medium: Indelible Ink on textured paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

‘Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo’

You will be amazed to know that "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is a grammatically correct sentence, it uses the following meanings of the word buffalo:


Buffalo: The place Buffalo, New York.


buffalo: An animal, in the plural


buffalo: To bully, confuse, deceive, or intimidate.



The sentence thus translates as:


‘Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo bully bully Buffalo buffalo’


To make things simpler let us replace the word buffalo with another animal, say ‘bison’. Thus it becomes:


‘Buffalo bison Buffalo bison bully bully Buffalo bison’


To make it even simpler let us replace Buffalo the name of a place with another place, say Congo. Thus it becomes:


‘Congo bison Congo bison bully bully Congo bison’


Changing it even further it can be said to have the same structure as:


‘Naughty boys Naughty boys bully bully Naughty boys’


Therefore, it is grammatically correct. It was used in 1972 by William J. Rapaport, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo.


Needless to say, a visual representation of this amazing sentence will follow soon .

Baddymynton

Title: Baddymynton
Medium: Black Ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Bloody Blog Wars

Title: Bloody Blog Wars
Medium: Indelible Ink on textured paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Hillary & Mallory

Title: Hillary & Mallory
Medium: Black Ink on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Precision Measuring Instrument

Title: Precision Measuring Instrument
Medium: Black Ink on textured paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

U.S.A. Unlimited Stars of Antlers

Title: U.S.A. Unlimited Stars of Antlers
Medium: Mixed Media on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Furniture

Title: Furniture
Medium: Ink on textured paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

E and Big E

Title: E and Big E
Medium: Pen on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

"There must be more to life..."

"There must be more to life, than life"
What is life but a journey to surpass life. There must be more to life, than life.

"Said the joker to the thief."
- Bob Dylan

The Unforgiven

Title: The Unforgiven
Medium: Pen on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Angry House

Title: Angry House
Medium: Black Pen on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Spare Sparrows

Title: Spare Sparrows
Medium: Black Pen on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Changeling

Title: Changeling
Medium: Pencil on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 April

Mind-al Dustbin

Title: Mind-al Dustbin
Medium: Pencil on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 Mar

Trezegue

Title: Trezegue
Medium: Pencil on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2009 Mar

So ugly as to be beautiful

"All works of art whose function it is to express the soul and the emotions, are always so ugly as to be beautiful, and so beautiful as to be ugly"

Thomas Mann in 'The Magic Mountain'

Pain.. !

The pain of not being able to paint... not wanting to paint... not feeling inspired to paint... pain, pain, painting!

A frivolous end I seek
My will a creature meek

The skies above overcast
My spirits at half mast

But the Good Lord sees all
And I can hear a distant call

An art-ilosophical question!

For someone who wants to paint free, i.e. without any motive of greatness, money, fame or ego-satisfaction, will it be better to:

1) Paint what he/she wants to do momentarily with speed and quick results

OR

2) Paint with great deliberation and great attention to detail so as to perfectly recreate the image inside his/her head.

The question being if one paints with great effort and attention to detail, is one bound by the fineness of the painting, thus making one an 'un-free' painter.

All comments and answers from anyone, are very welcome!

Sanjeev

The Fat Elephant Decides to Run

Title: The Fat Elephant Decides To Run
Medium: Sketch Pens on bond paper
Size: 10" X 8"
Date of creation: 2008 Nov

Uninspired by nothing

It has been a long stretch of abstinence from painting. Reason: Nothing. I didn't feel the need. Today, I felt some stirrings in my existence, to create with colours. I think I am going to start 'free painting' even more freely than what I have been doing. Soon. The call of colours is rising from the fogs of everyday existence.

This blog is about to expand itself into my being... and not just my painting being. To hell with painting... onwards to expressing. I express therefore I am.

Digital Musings 1

A fling with the CPU!

Title: Digital Musings - 1
Medium: Digital art
Date of creation: 2008

Seven Levels of Consciousness 4, 5, 6 & 7

Title: Seven Levels of Consciousness - 4
Medium: Acrylic on Oil Paper
Date of creation: 2008

Title: Seven Levels of Consciousness - 5
Medium: Acrylic on Oil Paper
Date of creation: 2008
Title: Seven Levels of Consciousness - 6
Medium: Acrylic on Oil Paper
Date of creation: 2008
Title: Seven Levels of Consciousness - 7
Medium: Acrylic on oil paper
Date of creation: 2008

Surrounded

I like being surrounded by colours... all the time!