'Save our tigers'....Probably that is the message I wanted to give when I painted it about two decades ago. Unfortunately, like most of our tigers, the painting also has vanished. And although he's got a water gun in his hand, I know for certain my son didn't kill it...:-} Like three more paintings of mine, probably it got lost in one of our transfers.
As a child I was a great fan of 'Phantom- The Ghost Who Walks' . Whenever I read those comics I was fascinated with the pygmies and their poison arrows. When I painted this probably I imagined this is how a pygmy looks like- although frankly speaking now when I look at it, I think this guy looks a lot more fanciful and much taller than the actual pygmies. Moreover I don't think they had plumes and wore any colourful dresses.....:-}
No, this crayon sketch is not one of Champagne. Although he does look a lot like him. But then, all the Golden Retrievers look the same don't they? In fact all the dogs have that soulful look in their eyes. And yet, even if all the Goldens were lined up all across the globe, I'd immediately recognize my champu jaan...because he is the bestest in the whole wide world...:-}
Churchill once said that 'no hour of life is wasted that is spent on the saddle'. But like somebody says (I forgot who) horses are mere projections of people's dreams about themselves- strong, powerful, beautiful. Therefore I tend to agree more with Byron.
'A thousand horse and none to ride With flowing tail, and flying mane Wide nostrils never stretched by pain Mouths bloodless to the bit or rein And feet that iron never shod And flanks unscarred by spur or rod A thousand horse, the wild, the free Like waves that follow o'er the sea Came thickly thundering on...........'
This oil painting of mine is therefore titled 'The Freedom To Be'.