Guest Post: This is a post by Mansi Sood, a grad student at CMU and an avid painter. Please check out more of her stuff here.
Two years ago, while writing my grad school applications, I realized how
profoundly a passion for painting has shaped me as a person and
informed my choices. As I moved to the US for a PhD, somewhere between
adapting to a new environment, and beginning a new phase in my life,
painting had taken a backseat. During these times of uncertainty and confinement,
I again found myself gravitating towards painting. In addition to
documenting my surroundings, I have been reliving memories with my brush
through the lock-down. I grew up in a constantly evolving landscape. In
my mind, I have a thriving visual repository of dramatic skies,
flowering meadows, glistening peaks and crashing waves. Moving to
Pittsburgh added another chapter in this repository of memories. It was
my first time witnessing fall, and seeing trees blossom after a long
winter. This spring, I paid particular attention to when different
plants in my neighborhood bloomed. On my walks, I would observe the
contours of magnolia petals and wonder what color flowers would the
rhododendron bushes bear. During days spent in isolation, as the sun set
and I could no longer look outside my window, I escaped the confines of
my room through my brush. Painting in watercolors
has been a meditative pursuit for me. Building up paintings, stroke by
stroke fills me up with the memory of the subject and how it made me
feel. I don’t like controlling
paintings too much, I perceive paintings as having a will of their own,
with my role being merely to guide them a little with my brush. The
interplay of colors and water always find a way to surprise me. During
moments spent holding a brush, I feel engaged and calm, and grateful for
this trusty companion, who has been by my side through these unsettling
times.
profoundly a passion for painting has shaped me as a person and
informed my choices. As I moved to the US for a PhD, somewhere between
adapting to a new environment, and beginning a new phase in my life,
painting had taken a backseat. During these times of uncertainty and confinement,
I again found myself gravitating towards painting. In addition to
documenting my surroundings, I have been reliving memories with my brush
through the lock-down. I grew up in a constantly evolving landscape. In
my mind, I have a thriving visual repository of dramatic skies,
flowering meadows, glistening peaks and crashing waves. Moving to
Pittsburgh added another chapter in this repository of memories. It was
my first time witnessing fall, and seeing trees blossom after a long
winter. This spring, I paid particular attention to when different
plants in my neighborhood bloomed. On my walks, I would observe the
contours of magnolia petals and wonder what color flowers would the
rhododendron bushes bear. During days spent in isolation, as the sun set
and I could no longer look outside my window, I escaped the confines of
my room through my brush. Painting in watercolors
has been a meditative pursuit for me. Building up paintings, stroke by
stroke fills me up with the memory of the subject and how it made me
feel. I don’t like controlling
paintings too much, I perceive paintings as having a will of their own,
with my role being merely to guide them a little with my brush. The
interplay of colors and water always find a way to surprise me. During
moments spent holding a brush, I feel engaged and calm, and grateful for
this trusty companion, who has been by my side through these unsettling
times.
I have tried to capture the colors of the 4 seasons in the paintings below. Which color palette goes the best with each season- winter, spring, summer and fall?
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| The Himalayan Peaks from a Plane |
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| Bloom Time in Pittsburgh |
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| Sand and Sea in Okinawa |
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| Howrah Bridge at Sunset |