arts circle

Had a wonderful conversation about art over ginger tea with a colleague at New Straits Times Bangsar head office, yesterday afternoon.
Murali a graphic artist at NST gave me a wonderful opportunity to talk about my favourite subject - art. Been a long time since I last had such an opportunity. I spoke with Murali for close to an hour and am glad that my subconscious mind exhibited itself to allow me to present in a nutshell what art means to mankind and my deep involvement in it.
I was glad that Murali was wholly receptive to what I said. If I had given him an answer to what he was seeking from me, it will make my day.
I think at the end of the conversation we decided that there is a need for a genuine art circle where artists can turn to, to feed their artistic instincts, find themselves and their roles in society and hence safeguard their sanity.

 A couple of works as a result of my first art circle at home in Cheras 2 1/2 mls Kuala Lumpur City Council workers' Quarters. A portrait of me done by my brother Jeganathan Ramachandram and him by me.

Deepavali week.

The Week Before Was Deepavali
Spent Entirely At Semenyih,
Playing Host To In-laws group
Gardening And Guest Hosting

Reality check

I am otherwise an alien to this world
A gardener I hired to clear overgrown lalang
How difficult it was to get him to do work
Although I was to pay this Pakistani
Even offering to hire him on a monthly basis
How difficult it was to get him to do work
I did not order this hired hand to work
Only tried to coax him to complete his work
How difficult it was to get him to do work
 

3rd Day of Leave

Three days have passed, of my 16-day Deepavali leave.
Hatched an idea for a family business on Monday
inspired by an article on the creator of Nuffnang.
To promote and market - our business, starting on our's.
Writing apt art reviews and precise book synopsis
service of matching art and writing, with patrons

At PC7

Sitting - a leg folded resting on the seat of the swirling office chair
Typing this ode to my creative self
Searching for words
Scanning thoughts
That are still,
Inert.
One.
Oneness,
Reaching within.
Scanning the source
Searching for stirrings.




 

SILENT MOMENTS

Sitting without a word expressed
Voiceless .......
But the thoughts so active - flying
Buzzing .......
Observing this soul - unagitated
Serene .......

Gardening yesterday.

Cutting grass at Semenyih
Worth two blisters
On the palm of my right hand
Gripping too hard
On the short full-metal scythe
An astonishing tool
That needs just a light grip
To fling the blade
For full circles of close cuts
Swishing cleanly
Barely scraping the hard soil
As in badminton
The racquet slicing the cork
Of the flying shuttle ...

54 going on 55

Turned 54 yesterday. But still feel like time is still.and I haven't aged .......
Looking back at the road travelled ....
Have not seen the years pass ....
Just turned a corner .....
Not a sharp turn .....
The start yet .....
Visible still .....
Memories ...
Fragrant ....
Fresh ....
Hmm ....

.

Yesterday was Vinayagar Caturthi festival. Visited the Thokaiyadi Vinayagar Temple, the new building nearing completion. Met many former Cheras 2 1/2 mls folks. All the people I know are old and the newer generation has grown - presenting unfamiliar faces. Set me thinking back on the good old days - such a fertile plot for literature. Got to embark on my writing again.

The artist within this old journalist

yet uninitiated - a barren land

Untilled, awaiting the seeds?

The festering seeds - concealed

Without the gesture of an inviting plot.

A vicious cycle unbroken .....

My niece, J. Dhakshini, a second generation artist in our family chatting with me and my wife, Thevasaina who is an artist herself. (Thevasaina's painting forms the header for my blog.)
 Dhakshini who lives in Chennai, India has a bright future ahead as she has a rich imagination and is a keen observer.
On the wall in this picture, is one of Dhakshini's abstract/symbolic paintings that she unveiled at her first solo exhibition in Malaysia recently.
Through these young artists we see our Cheras Art Circle growing beyond the confines of  its roots at 2 1/2 mls Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Hello there

Had gone missing for over four months. Glad to be back again.
Preparing to celebrate Sri Krishna Janmastami which falls tomorrow.

artistic ideas

Twain in 1867

Roald Dahl

 Re-read/listened about 10 chapters of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain on twitter. I last read this book about three decades ago. It was so wonderful and refreshing. Mark just like other children book writers such as Roald Dahl capture the child's perspective so well. Wish I could do the same. Coincidentally I bought a biography of Roald Dahl yesterday and am now reading it. Hopefully I will be able to use the insights of these two great children's book writers to complete similar books I am working on.

Its been a long while since my last post. Had been travelling quite a bit. To London and Scotland between Nov. end and first week of Dec. Had a great time - visiting Europe for first time. Was in Jaipur, India a week ago.
My head is filled with too many impresssions. Need to settle down a bit before starting to write about my experiences.