Sector 2, Faridabad — the working room.
Raw plaster wall, north-window light. The easel holds one canvas at a time; the palette knives are organised in jars by hue family. Most paintings are begun in the late morning and worked into the late afternoon. The next painting is begun after the previous one is signed.
From cotton roll to signed canvas.
The cotton canvas comes off the roll wider than the painting will eventually be — an extra three inches on each side, mirror-wrapped if the painting will be stretched gallery-wrap. It is stretched over kiln-dried pine bars and primed with three coats of gesso, sanded between coats. Only then is the sketch drawn.
The sketch is sent to the collector for approval before paint touches canvas. Three to four weeks later, for sizes up to sixty inches, the painting is finished, varnished after the surface has cured, and signed in the Devanagari fusion mark in the lower right. Six to eight weeks for the largest pieces.
Materials & care
Cotton canvas, kiln-dried pine bars, gesso primer, oil paint, palette knife. Keep out of direct sunlight; dust gently with a soft, dry cloth. The studio recommends a varnish refresh every five to seven years.
Lead time
Three to four weeks from your studio order, for sizes up to 60 inches. Six to eight weeks for the largest pieces. The studio sends a sketch for your approval before paint touches canvas.
Dispatch
Insured studio dispatch across India, included. Each composition is crated by hand for transit. International dispatch on request.