Picasso Who? My Travel Art Diary

From India with Love, Gossip, and Watercolors

I realized that it has been a while since I last shared my art with you all. That, combined with this inspiring conversation, I thought it might be time for another newsletter sharing my art and inner critic, aka, my parents’ voice. This time, I’ll also share the thought process behind each painting - what led me to create it and how I found inspiration for it. So, let’s get into it.

In April, I visited my family in India for two weeks and traveled with my art supplies for the first time. Let me tell you something: if you know that journaling, painting, or any creative outlet brings you peace and helps you regulate yourself, I HIGHLY recommend packing those supplies, even if it means that you can’t pack that extra pair of jeans. Trust me, you won’t regret it! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed painting amid all the chaos that comes with traveling with family. Sometimes, my sister joined me, reminiscent of our childhood painting classes. It was absolutely fantastic. Now, it's time to share some art.

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These Flowers

These flowers are the first piece I created on my trip. I started by making those big flowers while bonding with my grandma, whom I hadn’t seen in 7 years. Honestly, my inner critic had no time or space to jump in and utter a single word. While one part of my brain was busy adding those fine details to the flowers, the other part was very engrossed in my grandma’s gossip! By the time I finished adding those green leaves, my sister and mom were back from their errand, and it was time to leave for lunch. 

Birds of Paradise

This sketch is very special to me. I don’t consider myself good at drawing live objects. Let me rephrase: drawing live objects is not a skill set I have worked on yet. Yep, that feels better. (Take that, inner critic!) Picture this: my sister and I are sitting by the pool at a beautiful hill station resort and talking about all the things (oh, the privilege!). She is capturing the entire landscape, with the pool and the trees beyond it, and I am focusing on the gorgeous birds of paradise in front of us. I really don’t know if that hateful voice in my head that is always trying to bring me down had any space to chime in, to be honest. As I write this today, I can see the flaws in this drawing, but none of it matters because it reminds me of bonding with my sister.

Chamomile Flowers

I would be lying to you if I said that everything was hunkey dorey and I traveled with my mom and sister for 2 weeks without a single disagreement. I mean, we shared hotel rooms almost the entire time! You know how families just know the right buttons to push, and oh, we pushed each other's buttons preeettyy good. Yes, we fought. However, painting this bunch of chamomile flowers helped me regulate my emotions. The irony of painting chamomile to calm myself is not lost on me, my friend. 

My brain was firing on all cylinders to understand my emotions and triggers (all the years of therapy paying off). I don’t know if I even registered anything besides the flowers, leaves, and my emotions when painting this bouquet.

I drew inspiration from beautiful vintage-y art print and my favorite watercolor artist, Shealeen Lousie. I love Shealeen’s painting style with its attention to detail, the delicate flowers, and the color composition. I recommend following her on Pinterest and checking out her tutorials on YouTube if you like calm voiceovers with birds chirping in the background.

Unnamed Flowers

I think I was sick when I painted the flowers below because I don’t remember anything about it. Getting sick while traveling is just part of the course, right?

Lilies

Lastly, these lilies. My inner critic had a field day with these lilies. I don’t think I did justice to the bouquet in front of me, a gift from a family friend. I'm trying to remind that voice—just as I did when I painted these—that I intended to capture the present moment and what it meant to receive that bouquet. Bringing the flowers to the US wasn't viable, so I did the next best thing. In that sense, mission accomplished! Again, take that, rude voice in my head!

Looking back on my trip to India and the art I created, I realize how much these experiences mean to me. Each painting is not just a piece of art but a memory, a moment of bonding with my family. Despite my inner critic’s attempts to chime in, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.

Have you ever traveled with your art supplies or used creativity to navigate family dynamics? I’d love to hear your stories and see your creations. Feel free to share your artistic journeys in the comments or tag me on social media.

In the next edition of “Picasso Who?”, I plan to delve deeper into how different environments influence my art and share more behind-the-scenes looks at my creative process. Stay tuned!

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. Until next time!