Making Of Subject 1 - The Owl
I'm not a writer. I don't read much either. I just need a place to dump everything, and I guess this is how I do it
‘9’ is very special for me, I believe it is going to structure my life as i want it to be. I don't want to lose track so here I am trying to document my subjects in writing. Who am i?... I am that wave in the ocean which touches the beach and goes back to the ocean. It cannot settle anywhere, always confused and wondering either about the green lands or the deep seas. Meaning - I am a very curious ‘Artist’. People usually think artists are the ones who measure the depth in everything but I believe they don’t fall directly in it. They crawl down step by step, and I am somewhere in the starting. I would like to give this journey a name - “9”. This is where I give everything of myself, so when the end comes, I can leave it behind.
Introducing the Subject 1 - 'The Owl' with four interesting series.
SUBJECT 1
I recently concluded this subject. It was a huge roller coaster, it is my very first and mostly experimental. But just not that, my life took a huge turn and I was not really able to process those feelings for the very first time in my life. This subject gave a reality check of my life, I have gotten a new perspective on everything. The feelings are so confusing that I don't even know how to write about it. Right now I am sitting all exhausted and confused, so I write and try to express as much as I can.
Let's start from the beginning to get a clear view.
I quit my job, it was my first job. It took 8-9 months for me to slap on my face and move out of that loophole. I hated that place only because it was not for me. I always knew what was my destiny but somehow i managed to fuck it up and completely distract myself from it, why…? Because maybe I wasn't ready. I am a born artist and the only thing I had to do in my life was making art. Wrong! I realized our purpose in life is not only to do the things we are made for, the deal is to actually reach it, accept it and live it. Honestly, it sounds so easy but it feels like I am very thirsty in my sleep but I can’t wake up because of a nightmare. It took me 24 years to finally accept and practice art full time. It wouldn't be so good if i would have started it earlier because i had to understand everything in my life.
This subject was experimental yet it taught me more than anyone could in my whole life. When I first came up with the art concept, I didn't even know what I was doing, I was just sitting on a chair with colors in my hand. I spent hours and hours just shutting my head and drawing. I am not going to lie, that was the best feeling I ever had, I never felt like that. I never knew that this kind of feeling also exists in our world. I was more than happy. Mostly surprised. And that was the time I understood art, the very last lesson of my life before starting my journey of “9”. I am not a person who wants to share and inspire the world, I just want to live an unknown life in peace making art, but things changed with the launch of 9. I discovered things which I want to put out in the world, I still don’t know the reason but I had an urge to do it.
Owls are special to me. I have a painting of one that I keep with me. I don’t understand the connection that much, but it always reminds me of who I am and helps me release stress whenever I look at it. Well, it's obvious that it is my first subject. Using an owl for my concept added more depth towards our connection. Starting with research and ending with something extraordinary. In my early research I focused on owl’s characteristics and features. It is true that these creatures are built differently, the satisfying texture of their feathers makes you want to touch and feel them, the eyes filled with magic which doesn't allow you to look anywhere else. Honestly, I believe that if they could hypnotize us for real, we would be their slaves by now. The most majestic of all is the “Snowy Owl ''. Even after completing all the series I still couldn't get over this beautiful bird. I can watch it for hours and remain amazed by its beauty! Its appearance alone inspired me to create a dedicated series.
Series 1 - Appearance Of The Owl
Welcome to the first series of my very first subject. First of all, I would like to take a moment to experience this feeling. I’m sitting here, writing about my creations, and you know that “finally” feeling? That’s exactly where I’m at right now. My mind is clear, I am not distracted and I genuinely enjoy everything I’m doing. I never knew this was possible. see this is what happens when you grow up in the world of people telling you how hard life is and you gotta put a lot of hard work in it. Well, in my opinion, ‘if the process feels like struggle, then is it really something you love to do’?...because when you like to do something, it’s not a struggle, it’s fun. You love every bit of it, and even if it is tiring, it feels like satisfaction. Well, I don't know how it is for everyone else but I can only talk about my experience, right!?
Coming back to the subject, where were we? Yes, praising the beauty of snowy owls! This bird has that signature white coat with those little specks of black-brown, making their bright yellow eyes stand out even more. Plus, their feathers are crazy long! Ok, so this is all about their looks, now let’s get a little deeper. I can get impressed by looks, but surely not convinced enough to do a whole series about it. Everything/everyone has a story to tell and while studying about snowy owls I got to know a story or two. When you search about snowy owls on the internet, you can get every possible information, so why would I talk about it? Well, I am an artist, I believe there is much more to be discovered than facts, and that is what I crave. While working on the series I realized that there is much more in the insides which should be conveyed then the outer appearance. Imagine seeing a snowy owl, what do you see? White - black feathers, shiny yellow eyes and snow all over them? You wanna know what I saw? Green-blue world, softly hued with sharpened vision and focus, fearless nights with eerie pitch, as if it rules the darkness but glows brighter than light, the light of wisdom reaching out to teach and a form that is still, but far from our reach, which also freezes our eyes.
Ha ha, not that creepy I guess. When we go to watch a show, most of the people focus on the stage, trying to enjoy the performance. But I find the backstage more entertaining. Observing it silently, I see so much depth and so many stories. That's where my eyes are drawn every time. I don't know why, maybe because I was a quiet child who observed a lot of things. But isn't it beautiful? To be able to see the unseen. This is how I introduced my first series, "Appearance," and this concept of seeing and understanding the unseen, the central to my work. This particular series depicts how I see snowy owls, and I achieved some fascinating art. You see, I don't really plan my art pieces; I experience and study the subject first, then start putting it together. This approach has yielded great results. ‘Art doesn't reflect your skills; it reflects your understanding’, and this experiment has proven that to me. Check out (1A)1 and (1B)1 art pieces.
I am a visual communication designer too, and I believe that design can sometimes aid in creating art. Yes, I said it! This statement usually sparks both agreement and disagreement, but my reasoning is this: design is a problem-solving domain with very specific goals, but art can be its client too. In such cases, the design process can support art in serving meaningful content. Plus, who says art doesn't have a purpose?
During the making of the series, the highlights were the textures which I was able to achieve. I was hoping for good results considering the medium of the art piece but I didn't think it would give me wonderful results. I definitely liked working on them and the best part is that there is so much to explore in it. When colors meet and overlap, creating something magical without effort, it truly captivates me. I am obsessed with colors and to work with them. Exploring with textures led me to come up with another beautiful art piece(1C)1. This one is based on Owl’s abilities of tilting their neck! poor creatures don’t have eyeballs to look all around. Keeping all the crazy rotations in my mind I depicted the art piece. If you look into the details you will learn about it, it’s all there. Here is a thing about my art, everything mentioned in a piece has a meaning and every inch is worth looking at. Why is that? Because my only inspiration is nature and if you observe it closely you will realize that it is similar not the same. Take a rose garden as an example. Zoom in on a particular plant—let's choose a red rose plant. Observe a single flower closely, and you'll notice that nature uses geometry. Now, look at the other flowers on the same plant and compare them. This is what I was talking about: nature uses geometry, but nothing is identical. You can enjoy every unique detail, and that is the beauty of it. "SIMILAR BUT NOT THE SAME." I often struggle to do justice in describing my art pieces. Sometimes, I just can't find the right words, or maybe I don't know how to express them properly. That’s why I chose art as my medium—to express and depict what words can't convey.
What am I missing in Appearance? The very obvious thing about owls, yellow eyes and white-black feathers! This phase of the study was incredibly interesting to me. Eyes tell a lot more than we think; it’s not only to see but to express as well. Snowy owls have such captivating eyes that you can’t help but stare. The eyes and the feathers together create a hallucination effect: when you will focus on eyes, the pattern of feathers seems to move around them. This inspired me to put it on paper and bring that experience to life(art piece (1D)1). Here, I used oil pastels with a knife, continuing the circular pattern with black and white. As I mentioned before the idea of ‘similar but not same’ was applied to create a pattern for this art piece as well. When I was finishing it, I took two steps back to take it all in. It actually gave me a feeling of witnessing a snowy owl.
This medium supports my imagination perfectly. I've worked with almost every medium available, but I always faced some complications—not just with the artwork itself but also with the comfort and flexibility I wanted. BTW, here's a truth reveal: I didn't do much to find my art style. In fact, I never believed we need a unique style to be an artist. Honestly, WE DON’T. What we need is to be out there and open to explore everything. It doesn't matter whether the material is considered as a medium of art or not. One day, you'll just naturally start using something regularly because it brings you comfort and allows you to achieve the full extent of your imagination. So, it's not about chasing all the mediums to find yours; it's about experiencing the world of art and finding a place where you want to spend your time. I never had a strong opinion on mediums because, unknowingly, I only focused on creating something beyond what my eyes could see. Trust the journey! It's beautiful, more happening and exciting than the ending. And ladies and gentlemen, this is how I found my style. Not that I will always stick with it, but I like it a lot.
I enjoyed working on feathers with this medium so much that the urge to create more felt never ending. To conclude the series, I created one last piece dedicated to the eyes of a snowy owl-(1E)1. There’s not much to talk about because it was inspired from my previous art pieces in this series. But at the same time, there is still so much to experience from this artwork. So! this was all about my very first. At that time, I didn't really think I would be doing something significant with it, or that I would later decide to write about this project.
It all starts from me accepting myself as AN ARTIST. It seems like I’ve already crossed the biggest milestone of all. Now, I don’t worry; I just create.
I concluded the series by receiving happiness from the art I have achieved, I explored the area of textures and it has given me the joy of creating. It seemed like my concept worked for me! so I wanted to try something more and I moved on to the next series - Spirituality! Ahhhhhhh! This is going to be fun.
Series 2 - Spirituality Of The Owl (Owl’s Eyes)
Oh, did I just land on my favorite topic in the first subject itself? Hell yes, I did! The reason it interests me so much is because spirituality has many layers; it's like a limitless maze with always something new to discover. I agree it’s a tough journey, but the person you become in the process is worth it. Take me, for example. The difference between my present and past is drastic, almost living a different life. I used to be someone who wasn't even close to the terms like being a atheist or believer bla bla, but here I am now, literally writing about it. In fact, I actually did a series on it.
Owls are known for their spiritual significance in many ways, both positive and negative. In this series, I focused only on the "Evil Eye" aspect. Don't ask me why—I choose to work on something simply because I feel like doing it. There's no hard reasoning behind it. Anyway, I think Owls are very mysterious in nature; they give off a mixed vibe. Some say they are dark and horror and some believe they are spiritual guides. Well, whatever the case it is, I personally find them an interesting character. Imagine a human as an owl, he/she will definitely inherit a great personality.
Coming to the main element of this series - Owls Evil Eyes. We all know about evil eye protection, and there isn't much more to learn about it. However, the interesting thing I discovered is that there are vibrant stories from many corners of the world, and strangely, everyone agrees on the concept of evil eye protection in the end. These stories have no strong connection except for the part where they all face the evil of eyes, also known as ‘Nazar.’ To protect against this, they use the evil eye symbol—an eye for an eye. Similarly, owls are also considered a symbol of evil eye protection. Owls are known as the protectors who sense ill intentions and can guide us in the right direction.
This series is all about simplifying owls as protectors, focusing on their eyes and experimenting with different angles of the beliefs surrounding owl’s evil eye protection. It explores how to overcome darkness through the evil eye effect. I honestly love the patterns achieved in all the art pieces in this series. The evil eye protection depicted in each piece is absolutely amazing. The depiction of protection through owl’s eyes from evil eyes in (2A)1 is remarkable. In (2B1)1, everything is absolutely amazing—just look at the representation of evilness in it. (2C2)1 is simply magical, and (2D)1, come on! It literally gives the feeling of fighting a battle. I can talk about these pieces all day long because it has so much to observe and feel. But I won't because if I do then technically I am taking away the chance from you to experience it on your own. I know, I know, what am I even doing? Who the hell talks about their art work like this! I get it, highly informal and disoriented. It is because I am so much obsessed with art, and curious about possibilities that other people can come up with. Anyway, I am waiting for this after the completion of this subject so there is very little I can express, if it was during the making of it, it would have been a very entertaining rollercoaster because I hustle more in the process then the outcome.
I wanted to explore the realm of spirituality more, but it was getting confusing and too much on the plate, it is because this is the first time I am experimenting with my concept. I will definitely resume one day but that day is not today. So, this is how this series ends.
Series 3 - Sky Dance Of The Owl
After wrapping up the series I thought of going back to the research to find something more exciting, something more fun, and then I realized that at the end of the day I am talking about ‘bird’ right?... So in that case, how can I not talk about their love life. Come on, we all have heard about mating seasons and the tactics which male birds use to attract females to have cute babies. Apparently it is not easy to attract owl females, guess what male owls do? They perform “Sky Dance” in the sky! That is so far the most interesting thing I got to know about Owls. They thought all the birds were showing off their colorful wings, and the competition was getting tough, so let's do something out of the box. Owls decided to literally go in the sky and perform. Good for them.
The most famous dancers are short - eared owls. And this series will be dedicated to them and their talent. These are the most adorable little things. Their upper parts are dark brown with big white streaks and spots on the back and smaller ones on the head. Larger white markings on the back of the head look like a false face. Their underparts are white with bold brown streaks.
Male short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) perform "sky dances" to attract females during courtship, sometimes during the day or night. This aerial display includes wing-clapping, exaggerated wingbeats, and singing. The male owl circles high above the female, clapping his wings under his belly several times while diving. He then flies up again and hovers in the wind, often repeating the dance multiple times. The owl's wingtip claps can make a sound similar to a person slapping their thigh with an open hand. Isn't it amazing? I think birds have a much better dating life than we do. Our guys are never going to pull off this kind of move to impress us, I swear. Anyway, back to the bird's life.
The moves of the dance pretty much impressed me and made me put it on the paper. First I was thinking of defining all the moves individually through art but then, I thought of putting it all together. The reason behind this is that it is a dance to impress and the male must be going through all the emotions at once. In that case I needed to showcase those messy but beautiful emotions at once. I took my palette, keeping myself in the shoes of short-eared owls and started drawing.
I was honestly sky dancing at one point during this series. It was so much fun that it consumed me. I wasn't expecting the colors to merge the way they did. The palette didn't initially have a 'wow factor,' and at first, the contrast seemed off too. Despite all that mess, I decided to stick with my research and trust the process.
And again, for the third time, I wasn't disappointed. It was worth it! When I finally completed the art piece, I took a deep breath of fresh air. It came out successful. The details were surprising because I had been worried about executing them correctly. Moving forward, I created more pieces with the same format. I grew to like working with this palette, maybe because I found a way to explore it fully. The piece (2B)1 looked like a gentleman giving his best performance to win his queen. He seemed confident, representing his entire species' beauty and proving yet again that nature is truly magnificent.
It is true, nature never disappoints! The way it is formed is just phenomenal. Every time I discover something, it amazes me in many ways. It was, it is and It always will be my only inspiration. May my journey grant me many more experiences with nature. Om Namo.
My emotional rollercoaster didn't have enough with this series so it took me a little bit closer to the subject to find more details. Feathers!! Yes, how can I not work on it! While this beautiful creature performs in the sky, it shows off its wings a lot. Of course, I will not ignore it. I came up with another piece representing the wings. If you have seen the art piece (3C)1, you will know that when I was obsessing over the textures, I was not wrong. I screamed like a fan girl. One thing is for sure, I am not letting go of texture study anytime soon, it is worth exploring and it deserves an artist to work on it. I was stunned when the final piece was completed; it appeared to be a beach scene, but it actually illustrated the movement of owl’s wings in the open sky. This is the essence of nature, everyone! I couldn't have achieved it without studying nature, which remains my sole inspiration. This is all in this series, more than anything it was a great learning and collection of ideas that I would love to work on someday.
Series 4 - Hooting Of The Owl
Okay! Hooting!! Owl calls. This is one last thing that I want to cover before ending the Subject. Yes, this is the last series! Is it too early? I feel the same. But the purpose of this particular series was to confirm whether my desire towards this art form is true or not. Universe gives us exams for everything, this time I gave myself an exam. I better be ready for the results.
This last series was a little bit of a mix of music and art. I heard owl calls so much that I was hearing it everywhere. In the end, I decided to go with a long-eared owl’s hoot. Owls have very different hoot styles, some have very high pitch and some very low. Basically, my idea behind the study of owls' sound was to somehow come up with a visual representation of hooting. It is tricky I know, but it felt like a cool thing to try out. I tried a lot of methods with different elements and finalized on ‘chladni plate’, which makes patterns out of sound frequency. It is crazy, right!? How did I not know something like this exists? It is a very cool device to have fun with, and I definitely did. Then, moving on to the subject I selected a significant part of the long-eared owl’s hoot and pulled out some beautiful patterns. The sound when the owl goes 'Ooouuu-Ooouuu' with a heavy voice—yes, that's the sound I wanted to capture in my work. I extracted around 10 patterns from the sound and started working on it. At first I wasn't sure what possible I could do with these individual patterns? So, I got into a little bit of study about patterns. The best thing about patterns is that it can take any form and still never lose its nature. Rather than doing something mainstream I decided to go wild and see how it ends up. I picked up a pattern and observed it. Whatever shapes came up, keeping the subject and my studies in mind, I started to incorporate them into the patterns. Ten different patterns and ten different types of tiles dedicated to the subject. I took a risk. First, I didn't like it, and it didn't reach my expectations but I tried again and this time I really tried not to mess up the nature of the pattern. Well, a few days later, I was successful in keeping the pattern alive and luckily I also got some interesting tiles. Ok, so truth to be told I am not that much satisfied with the results because I wanted to stick with the concept of representing sound only. But I still do not hate what I got in the end, I started with a very obvious mindset which I should have avoided. But I guess, this series had different plans for me. I like the pattern work, it represents a variety of Owls as well as my journey through this whole subject. Something I would say is “cute”. Every pattern describes a lot and has meaning, I hope you guys were able to crack it. By these wonderful and unique art pieces, I officially conclude this subject.
It is worth it!
I unimaginably loved doing this; it felt like a dream. I always knew I would end up as an artist, it’s my destiny. But for a long time, I wasn't ready for it. I had to live and understand life before taking this step. This makes sense now because if I had chosen art earlier, it wouldn’t have felt like this. It wouldn’t have given me the same perspective on my relationship with art. Everything has its time, and we wouldn't appreciate it if it happened prematurely. As I always say, "trust the process."
Stay Tuned for more Subjects... This was just a start! And of course check out Subject 1 - The Owl on website OR social media platforms.