Gulmohar

Often, when we pass through a place, a particular corner of it stays with us and quietly asks to be painted. This spot from Sir J.J. School of Art was one such place for me. I had been drawn to it for many days before finally painting it. The red Gulmohar flowers seen here do not actually exist at the site. The idea came from an earlier sketchbook study in which I explored a combination of a banyan tree and fallen Gulmohar flowers. I wondered how this familiar corner would look with a red carpet of blossoms beneath it. The contrast between the deep greens of the banyan and the vibrant reds of the flowers immediately appealed to me, and through this painting I have tried to express that contrast in my own visual language