Art of Taskin

A Still Life Drawing comes with a host of possibilities. A few things are certain it must be able to draw the viewer in, it must be placed well and it must tell a story. Even if that story may not be seen straight away the viewer must be able to take something away. As much as colour and texture do to add to the vibrancy, mood and energy of a still life, a value study (studying the values - darkness and lightness and tones) is something that gives me direction in my paintings. It becomes much more easier when later putting paint on canvas. I need to make fewer turn backs and corrections, it allows the process to be much smoother and most of the time a value study provides a point of reference in tonal range for the painting. Here is a step by step illustration of the still life drawing of 'A Toast to Family', which I completed recently. I intend to take this drawing to canvas in paints so look out for a painting done in colour of this in my future posts.       

As my fascination with florals continues and my development in painting flowers from close observation also continues, as a symbol of the reunion of two souls after separation and a testament of their loyalty, 'Red Lily' was created.  Most of my floral paintings are done spontaneously. I do not usually sketch them on paper but have a general idea in my mind as to the end result before putting paint to canvas. I prefer with my florals to dive straight into the painting and allow the picture to paint itself. This painting was given as a gift to a  dear relative :                                          Near and Dear oil on canvas 45 cm x 35 cm                                                           ©  copyright protected

While thinking about the concept of 'being free', three themes come up very strongly in my opinion which are the universal philosophy of 'peace, love & unity'. Saturday, 21 Sept. 2013  marked a day when Kenya was hit with one of the most devasting major terrorist attacks in its history and I write this in memory of those who lost their lives and as proud Kenyan that my fellow brothers & sisters showed that through adversity Kenyans are united regardless of creed, race, religion or social status.....(during the attack Kenyans helped each other to escape the attack, men carrying babies and children out of the scene,onlookers volunteering themselves to holding the wounded to safety and after the attack paramedics rushing to the scene and doing their level best, volunteers in numbers arriving to donate blood, security forces working jointly with other agencies to maintain calm). Solidarity, unity and oneness was evident throughout the ordeal which reminded me :

Since I was in high school, I would draw landscapes, animals, plants & flowers. My love for art has always intermingled with my love for poetry and the natural world as I thought and saw it. Having a Father who writes poetry,books and paintings around me, a supportive family and also friends from various fields, including the Arts was always a plus point in my discovery and rediscovery of my passion. As Ralph Emerson put it ' the universe is - nature and the soul'. For me, painting was always like 'second nature', an experience that got me closer with who I am. As many say a landscape painting shows the soul of the painter as much as the spirit of a place. Through my landscape paintings I am able to express what is in my soul freely.  Usually I do not need a very broad palette to do justice to my landscapes as I will make colour choices and mixtures with a limited palette ( of six oil colours mostly) and still get the outcome I want. The inspiration is all a

 Drawing is one of the first artistic endeavors any artist goes through in their life. For me one of my first forms of communicating like speaking or writing. It has become an active part of my life today. It is this amazingly satisfying act of drawing and that excitement in putting lines together to create an image or design that creates a sense of achievement and also internal peace which keeps me coming back to the drawing board. The break I had from drawing for me was indeed a break from being able to develop on making those lines and connecting the dots more accurately, however after returning now to drawing and painting I am able to fully appreciate the time and value in it and give drawing an even more defined appearance in my life. Although time has passed, concepts have developed and techniques evolved, putting marks on a paper and translating feelings onto paper has remained the same. The act of drawing itself has remained. When I start with picking a pencil and apply

Among my memories of my visit to Dubai is the boat ride across the Dubai Creek (the historical dividing line between the two main sections of Dubai) and the view from our boat of other boats passing us by. One particular view of another boat become a great shot for a painting. This view is 'The Boat and Yellow Lights'.                                 The Boat and Yellow Lights 76 cm x 50 cm   oil on panel                                                              © copyright reserved I particularly enjoyed painting 'The Boat and Yellow Lights'. It was a new challenge to create coloured reflections of lights in moving water and also new insight for me into creating distant light effect. I must say I learnt a lot through this painting and the journey through it. Look out for more of my landscape paintings in future posts !!.........

After my visit to Dubai in May of this year, I brought back some reference photos. One of those was the source for this next painting, 'The Boatride'. Here is a my journey through 'The Boatride', as a step by step illustration. 1.  Sketching the basic shapes & lines & blocking in sky - here my aim was to establish an outline of the subject bearing in mind space & the horizon line. I established a divide for the sky and the water. I also plan and establish the cool and warm regions as well as the dark and light areas, determining the mood and feeling for the painting. In this case, as it is a nightscape the mood is dark yet a night light up with lights. This is the mood I will keep in mind throughout the next steps.  2. Filling detail of subject, starting from background to foreground & blending -I begin establishing the detail of the lights in the distance & body of the boat ( main subject/focal point). Here I also establish the range of t

The first of my many abstract pieces in my series of ' Abstract Experiences of Nature',..... Earth, Air, Water, Fire - the basic components of a larger system that constitute every fundamental power that exists according to a common worldview - this was the source of the main theme of ' Connected World'.  My hope was through this abstract composition, the idea is exposed that every component that makes a system, e.g. our planet is intricately connected, (therefore, a problem cannot be treated in isolation, a change in one area of the system will affect the whole) and  in turn this will emphasize that there is a need for a deeper care of that integral system, 'Mother Earth'.                                    Connected World 82 cm x 55 cm oil on board                                                      Copyright protected Feeling, spirituality and freedom are the core elements of this next piece - colour the means to express and fireworks a met

As we continue to celebrate Spring - flowers begin to bloom, Easter and Holi is celebrated too and during this festive and blissful time the 'Bird of Paradise' - an exotic ornament plant with a flower in the shape of a bird in flight comes to mind. These flowers bloom between September and May and gardens of these unique flowers fill the landscapes during spring time. In the joy of spring and remembrance of the significance of seasonal change, I painted this 'Bird of Paradise' : Bird of Paradise 80 cm x 51 cm oil on canvas © 2013 This painting is currently at the TAZAMA GALLERY, Nairobi Kenya for sale ! (Ground floor, Yaya Centre Argwings Kodhek Road)..... If interested to buy or have a look, do check it out there! It's an original.... There is just one exclusive painting of this I have done....

My fascination with painting flowers still lives on ....... In the spirit of spring, I would like to share some of the floral paintings I have done many years ago and more recently. Fire Lily was done last year and inspired by the varieties of lilies that my Mother used to bring home to decorate the house with. She still brings flowers home and by painting the fire lily I feel I recorded a piece of that time that can live for a lifetime.  Fire Lily 50 cm x 60 cm oil on canvas 2012 My fond memory of our first rose garden still comes to mind. Roses in summer was inspired by that time and seeing four roses growing together so perfectly.    Roses in Summer 60 cm x 50 cm oil on canvas 2012                                                                                 I have always been fascinated by the Lily - its multitude of colours, variations and forms.  Anthuriums have also been one of my favourite. I always liked the elegant shaped petals

This was created purely spontaneously and in one rapid sitting. My intention was initially to create serene landscape. I began painting the scenery, however very soon after I shifted to producing this abstract, I would call a 'spur of the moment' piece , done  while I was 'in my zone'.....                  'Sometimes the unplanned and unpremeditated  are the most joyous! '.....              

My composition of Silent Waters followed the usual steps in landscapes as Dreamscape. It was a new kind of landscape for me, experimenting with  different subjects - boats and their reflections. The aim was to keep it simple. It offered me the opportunity to use a new order to my method  - apply the  'impasto' technique for texture in the middle ground trees while keep the foreground and background soft and subtle. I was quite pleased with the outcome in the end ! Below is the final painting  of Silent Waters:                                          Silent Waters 60 cm x 50 cm oil on canvas                                                                                                              © copyright protected 

I followed the se 4 very broad steps below in order to create th e painting , Dreamscape :           1 . Structure plan & establish value, colour temperature and mood : start by creating the dark and light areas of the painting. I always start by also establishing the feel for the painting depending on partly how I feel at the time and also the intended mood. At this stage I also plan the shapes and form I intend including warm and cool colour temperature. In some cases I do apply major differences from photos and avoid working strictly from the photo but instead from memory.   2. Develop detail starting from back to front, blend colour values while developing texture & form : I   then worked from the back of the painting moving to the foreground, filling the details of the dark      and light regions, constantly retaining focus by referring to the reference photo and keeping a balance between warm and cool values. (Referring strictly to the photo can inhibit p

                                             Lands End 60 x 50 cm oil on canvas                                                      © copy right protected  With a few minor changes and refinement, I have completed the Lands End painting. It was an interesting journey for me to create the impression of the rocks  and cliffs, which I only attempted once before. The painting below is the first attempt of rocks and cliffs and of Lands End as well, but of a different region in that locality. Lands End Beach (close-up view)  20 x 30 cm oil on canvas     © copy right protected  Here below is a painting of Devon beach  in England done in 2013.  I have grown to enjoy painting in oils because of the slow drying nature of the paints, ability to blend easily and also create texture and detail. Since I discovered oils, I have been fascinated by them and perhaps since I lived by the beach for a long time in Devon, Brighton and the South West England, I have continu

work in progress of Lands End Beach 60 x 50 oil on canvas                                                            © copyright protected  I started this painting two days ago from a reference photograph taken of Lands End Beach  ( southern most tip of England) in 2007  It is almost complete, just a little tweaking and refinement in places left.  Since I work in oils mostly it gives me enough time to develop the framework for the painting, under-painting and consequent development of form and final refinement. I tend to plan in advance the structure of the painting to get a good sense of direction for the piece .  See my later posts for some more detail on the step by step process I take through my landscape paintings.