This was actually the Billie Holiday portrait that I had in mind, when I thought of painting her...the first one was just an afterthought. This painting is to accompany the Charles Mingus portrait that I did early on in this series. It's the same size and has a gold pattern in the back just like his. I got the idea for her portrait when I was in Rajasthan and saw all the women dressed in these intense pink saris...and I thought - hey, Billie Holiday would look good in pink, too.....

This is a bit different than my jazz portrait series, but I had fun doing this...these two guys own the shop in my apartment complex. They are two brothers from Kerala, and are dear to me because they are the closest vendors who sell chocalate. Very important. When I gave them the portrait, they had a good giggle at the awkwardness of the situation, and then said it would be shipped off to their mother in Kerala. I guess I'll take that as a compliment.

Some more pics to share with y'all...That's me with Andrea and another teacher from our school at a posh celebration for Andrea's bday (i think i will soon have to change the title of this blog, for a hippie adventure is not exactly the right description for this life of luxury i am leading...)

One of my new pastel drawings of Billie Holiday...and my final set of Janis Joplin prints inspired by Tibetan prayer flags and the Rajasthani colours... I'm hoping to use all of these paintings in an exhibition soon...still working on it. Meanwhile, my apartment in Bangalore is fast becoming a small gallery!

Doing well in Bangalore....

Hey friends...Did the groundhog see his shadow? Wait a second....didn't he die last year? Anyway...going into summer here in the 'Lore, and I didn't even notice the winter season, being 25 degrees and all (sorry Torontonians...had to mention it)

Things are going well here. Making my mark in the blues music scene, and working on my paintings. Here's some pics of life lately.


Starting from top: my attempt at printmaking...Janis; my latest watercolour painting - Miles Davis..only one more to go in this series, but its a surprise; me and all the candy my mama and papa sent me for valentines...yep, they're the best; the ever-increasing garbage pile on the path to the school...did i mention its in a perpetual state of burning? Oh, the smell in the morning; scene from a big music jam party at Pete's farm. ; Of course the top pic features the two loveliest ladies in Bangalore kicking back in a rickshaw.