A Trip to India

Part of the reason you have not had a recent post to this blog is a trip I took to India for three weeks last October and November (and 3 more week to recover from jet lag and a bad drug interaction.) The Indian visit was one that I will never forget.

It's not just that India was a different culture to me, but it was an experience that required all five senses -- what materials and objects I touched, the smells of the spices and streets, the sounds I heard, the tastes of the food and of course, the sights I saw.

One notable visual aspect of Indian life is the colors of the Sari -- the universal dress of Indian women. Women are given many Saris by their family before they are married. The Sari is not just for "dressing up." We saw women working in the field, carrying manure for fuel, eating in a fancy restaurant, socializing -- all wearing beautiful and colorful Saris. And there are virtually an unlimited variety of colors (although some younger women will wear similar Saris as a school dress.)

Although, as you can see from my work, I have been painting abstract impressions of what I experience, I was intrigued with how I might reproduce my visual experiences of Indian women with Saris. I started painting a "Sari Series." In these canvases, I have been able to maintain some abstract images with representations of the women I saw and their Saris.

Saris at the Taj Mahal

Saris at School

Saris at a Market

Saris among Palms

Saris at the Milk Market

The two most recent paintings in this series are large 50" by 30" canvases. Those who have seen them are excited by them, as I am.

Nine Saris

Saris in the Sun

As memories of the trip continue to arise I may do more of these, although I still spend time on my abstract subjects -- as this recent painting called "Through the Glass Lightly" is an example of.