I had a tkr 2 weeks ago and I'm just getting around to being able to paint for little periods. The brief periods I get to paint give me so much joy. I made a makeshift studio and the lighting isn't great for taking photos but this will have to do. #art #japan #kimono #geisha #workinprogress

Here she is done! I wanted to create something with a very old world charm. I was reading Kalidasa's Rtusamhara and wanted something poetic for the title so I am calling this painting "the arrival of spring" #art #lehenga #indianart #jewelry

Found some old melgip lying in my studio, unopened. So I opened it on new year's and started glazing. Will be glazing down some of the lighter values when it's dry. #art #lehenga #indianart

Mini 24: Call of the Siren I wanted blend Asian and European myths regarding mermaids. In Asian cultures, the myths about mermaids often blend local beliefs about the sea, spirits, and transformation. link to purchase: tinyurl.com/2uw65k6p #art

MINI 23: A moment in time This mini is inspired by my visit to Turkey. Link to painting: tinyurl.com/eej25xbv #art #dervish

Mini 22: a walk in the garden This painting isn't particularly inspired by a single character or person. It however is inspired by the myriad of C-dramas I watch that romanticize a stroll int he garden in medieval China. Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/5n6pmemk #art

Mini 21: Tilottama in red In this mini, we visit Tilottama dancing. She was supposed to have been an exquisite dancer who could stop the world with her skills in dance.  I wanted to catch her mid movement. Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/32wnr9yb #art

Showing off a painting with the wonderful rose. Thank you! #art #artlife #virginiaartist

Mini 18: unguarded warrior In this painting I wanted to revisit Queen Moremi. Here, she is holding a spear yet looking softly captures her strength and grace. Link to purchase tinyurl.com/y87hxr8z #art #nigeria

Mini 17: a quick look Again we visit Ambapalika. Because she was supposed to be so beautiful, I chose a circular canvas for this mini. I felt it highlighted the face.  Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/y558bd4u #art #india

Mini 16: the dancing girl A few years ago, I saw a vintage image, dated to the late 1800s, of a nautch girl dancing for the Amir or Afghanistan. That inspired this mini Link to purchase tinyurl.com/yx43ukab #art #bellydancer

Mini 15: ambapalika waiting Amrapali was supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world and ended up as a royal courtesan. I wanted to show her still being a strong player who steered her life as best as she could.  Link to painting: tinyurl.com/2ct89adw #india #art

Mini 14: fiercely beautiful For this mini is of Tomoe Gozen. She was "a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman, she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot." Link: tinyurl.com/y87hxr8z #art #oilpainting #Japan #asia

Mini 13: no less than a man My brother serves as the inspiration for this mini. He told me about The Tale of the Heike, where a very fierce woman warrior was described as being no less than a man. Link to purchase tinyurl.com/4f3fke7a #art #Japanese #painting #kimono

Mini 12: Phosop At an event, I met a Thai lady wearing a traditional dress and had to paint her. I depicted her as Phosop, the Thai goddess of rice and fertility. I wanted the painting to feel soft, sacred, and tender. Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/ywnu889r #Thailand #art

Mini 11: Samurai mask Samurai masks are beautiful. They were worn not only to intimidate and to protect but also for ceremonial purposes. This samurai mask may not inspire fear, the painting holds the spirit of a warrior. Link to purchase tinyurl.com/zkh4npa9 #art #japan

Mini 10: Othello A collection of paintings inspired by literature, stories and cultures from around the world is empty without a piece inspired by Shakespeare. So I wanted to show the depth Othello shows throughout the play. Link to purchase tinyurl.com/umkp3nzk #art #shakespeare #Othello

Mini 9: Enchanting Eyes I watched Kingdom of heaven many years ago and I remember Eva Green's character had the most beautiful jewelry. I loved the costuming. This painting is my interpretation of the jewelry.  Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/y87hxr8z #art #middleeast

Mini 6: aphrodite in pink I've always loved Sappho's poem "Ode to Aphrodite" where Sappho implores Aphrodite to come to her and not let her be in misery. This mini is inspired by that poem. Link to painting tinyurl.com/5xb2xt7m #art #aphrodite #ancientrome

We are into our 8th mini! This one is called "the samurai" What more needs to be said about samurais? They are a legend in their own right so I decided to paint them for the minis this year.  Link to purchase tinyurl.com/y87hxr8z #art #samurai #japan

Mini 6: the dogon dancer Their spirituality and stories of the Dogon people of Mali sounded fascinating so I decided to paint a Dogon dance ritual for the minis. Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/ypnbhve9 #Africa #mali #dogon #figurativeart #oilpainter #art

Mini 5: The warrior queen I love a good story about a warrior queen. So of course I had to paint queen Moremi, a legendary Yoruba queen who was renowned for her bravery and sacrifice. Link to purchase tinyurl.com/y87hxr8z #art #yoruba #moremi #Nigeria

Mini 4: Anahita was the ancient Persian goddess of water, fertility, and wisdom. The winged and horned lion in the background and the flower motifs are inspired by the sculptures from Persepolis. link : tinyurl.com/38hv4bd2 #oilpainting #anahita #perpepolis #Iran

Mini 3: Here, I took inspiration from Ovid's Erisichton, who was cursed by a dryad because he cut down sacred trees. In this mini, the dryad has a wreath of flowers on her head and is standing by the tree she embodies. Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/y8fwn24m #25daysofminis #art

For this mini, i painted the Vesna, who was an ancient Slavic goddess of spring, youth and life. She is often depicted as a young woman holding flowers. Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/3d8xv4ee #christmasgift #art #Russian #slavicmyth

My first mini is here! This mini is dedicated to Queen Dido of Carthage. Instead of throwing herself into the pyre after Aeneas leaves, she redefines happiness after heartbreak. Oil on board, 8 x 8 inches. Link to purchase: tinyurl.com/m4b3r4th #art #aeneid #rome

"Blue mirror" 16 x 20. Oils in the different pigments dry in their own way. I have to wait a good while before I can bring it to life with a glossy varnish. Until then, here she is. Oil on cradled board. #art #artwork #thaidance #dancer #asia #thailand #jewelry

I painted a painting called "generational love" a while ago in pastels and now I wanted to interpret it with oils. I changed a few things here and there. But this is a work in progress. Hopefully it progresses quickly lol. #art #artwork #oilpainter #guatemala

I can't seem to take a good photo of this one but I'm really loving how she turned out. From my 25 days of minis collection. "Vesna in the field" #art #painting

This one is of Dido, except I didnt want her pining over aeneas. I wanted her to get over him and find herself again. I mean she was a queen after all. She had a lot more going for her than a man. For my 25 days of minis collection. #art #artwork #aeneas #aeneid #25daysofminis #oilpainting

I couldn't get good photo of it since it is fresh off the easel but this is also for the minis. 6 x 6 oil on board. Stay tuned until December for the minis collection. #art #artwork #soldier #kimono #japan #portrait #oilpainting #oilpainter

Another painting ready for the 25 days of minis. Will be available december. 9 x 13 "ambapalika waiting" #art #saree #india #painting #history

Yay! Another little 8 x 8 done for the minis this year. With this one i really tried to play with complementary colors. I love to use deep violets with a variety of yellows. You'll see this one soon in ym 25 days of minis. #art #veil #portrait #jewelry #middleeastern

Want to come check out my work? Come see me at the art fair on the square in Madison wisconsin this weekend. My booth is 160! #artfair #art #madison #wisconsin

Work in progress. It's always a great feeling when you've dug yourself out of the "believe in your vision" phase. #art #butterfly #nature #figure #painting

Finally bounced back and managing my pain so i finished this 8 x 10 today. "Her first half saree" #art #painting #india #saree

Dancers are just magic. 8 x 10 inches. "Bellt dancer with hipscarf" #art #artwork #dmvartist #bellydancer #dance #figurativeart #oilppainting

Almost done, maybe an hour left. Let's see how it looks when it's done. #art #artist #figurativeart #dmvartist #boudoir #figurativeart #oilpainting

It's taking its own swert time but I'm not sure about the pattern in the curtains. I guess I'll play with it a little tomorrow. I'm all painted out for today and going to our down the brush because I'm overthinking everything. #art #oilpainting #painting #figurativeart

Keeping on keeping on. When I work large, I cab sometimes get very fatigued by the painting or i box myself into a corner. But I am finally happy with the direction this is going. #art #artist #artwork #boudoir #figurativeart #figure

Here she is done! Oil on board 8 x 10 inches. "All that glitters" #art #geisha #painting #japan

What work am I progressing on right now without finishing the large painting? This one lol. This week is full of my fun ones before I finish the larger painting. #art #artist #geisha #kimono #sunset #flowers #backlight #oilpainting #figurativeart #asia

Finally got this one done. It's still wet so I didn't take the best photo. Oil on board 12 x 12 inches. "Look over there" #art #artist #ecuador #indigenous #tribe #latinamerica

While I put in the finishing touches of the commission I picked up a painting i was working on a while ago. I had put it away because I had no idea what to do with the background but I think I have a good plan this time. Stay tuned! #art #artist #artwork #figurativeart #figure #oilppainting

Working on a commission. Have a way to go but Loving it so far. #art #commission #Kyrgyzstan #portrait

Quick little doodle while I get ready to start a commission. #art #penguin #nature #Antarctica

This one is finally done! 12 x 16 oil on cradled panel. "Morning pause" #art #artwork #figurativeart #boudoir

A quick stop in Nepal. I hope you like this 12 x 12 inch painting. "The offering" oil on board. Available shortly on my site. Painting based on image by: Jean Marie Hullot #art #nepal #Nepalese #ihee #offering #oilpainter #figuretiveart #portraitart #asia

"Persian rose" 11 x 14. One of my favorite pigments I have on my palette is persian rose. I use it so much in skintone and to bring some life to the painting. So I painted a bunch of roses next to my subject and i used persian rose in the highlights. #art #iran #persian #nowruz #portraitart

"Treasures from her mother's closet." Oil on board. 11 x 14 inches. Available on my site shortly. #art #artistsoninstagram #artwork #saree #painting #oilpainter #selfportrait #portraitart #sareeblousedesigns #kanakambaram