Inside My Sketchbook and Studio Practice
Welcome to the mess where my ideas begin. From quick pencil sketches to paint-stained hands, this is where my art takes shape before it reaches the world.
When the Universe holds my hand, it looks something like this. A snapshot of my paint-covered hand in my happy, messy studio after a painting session.
A simple moment with a pencil and sketchbook. I'm always returning to faces that look back, finding endless stories in them.
A poem about the artist's life. My life is a great churning, and the process of pulling from trauma, grief, and love is what becomes my art.
A quick tour of some of my older paintings that are currently on sale. This is a chance to own an original piece of my journey at an affordable price.
A quick ink sketch in my sketchbook. The cross-hatching technique helps me explore shadows and forms in a raw, immediate way.
Another quick sketchbook session, this time capturing a moment of intense emotion. The frantic lines of the pen reflect the raw energy of the subject.
An older oil painting of a screaming woman, framed in reclaimed wood. This piece is part of my studio sale and is looking for a new home.
This acrylic on canvas is another piece available in my sale. It explores themes of duality and identity.
An abstract figurative painting depicting a group hug. This piece, with its warm colors and interconnected figures, is also available for purchase.
A playful diptych of elephants blowing bubbles. These two canvases are full of color and joy, and are part of my ongoing studio sale.
About From My Sketchbook & Studio
You are looking at the raw, unfiltered part of my practice, including sketches that never made it to a gallery wall and the chaotic studio energy that fuels my finished work. Most of the pieces you see here, including the original canvases, are currently part of my studio sale, so if a particular frame speaks to your space, send me a message and we can sort out the details.
The Process Behind the Paint
My studio is not a pristine white room. It is a space of constant churning. When I am not working on digital illustrations on my iPad using Procreate, I am sketching with ink or painting on canvas. The sketches you see here are my immediate reactions to life, politics, and the people I encounter. I use cross-hatching to find shadows in faces and ink to capture raw emotion, often returning to these pages to develop themes for larger, more political murals.
Owning a Piece of the Journey
Because my life is a cycle of making and moving, I periodically open my studio for a sale. This is a chance for you to own original art, acrylics on canvas, and early drafts that are personal to me. Whether it is a figurative portrait or a scene of joy and rage, these pieces are looking for new homes.
How to Acquire
- Originals: If you see a painting in this gallery that speaks to you, reach out. We can discuss shipping or pickup.
- Digital Downloads: For my digital works, I provide high-resolution files. This ensures you can print and frame them according to your own taste, eliminating the drama of shipping physical art.
- Customization: While these are studio pieces, I am open to commissions if you have a narrative you want to translate into art. We start with a 30-minute consultation to align on the emotional intent of the piece.
Art should be accessible. It should live in homes, not just in digital archives. If you want to own a piece of my protest or my joy, just let me know.
Girija
I am Girija, a middle-aged woman who treats art like a protest. My studio is where I grapple with the political and the personal, using everything from ink on paper to digital strokes on an iPad to make sense of the world.
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