This was a project for Painting 4 class. Its called Point of View project. Here's the idea behind my painting:
Bus is a big part of my life. Everywhere I go, bus is my mode of transportation. As a full time international student who is also working part time, I use the transit at least four times per day since almost three years now. But it is more than a mode of transportation for me. Transit bus is full of stories, ideas, pain, perspective, introspection, moments of revelation, etc. I have had so many creative ideas in a bus while listening to music. Working parttime while studying full time means a very busy schedule. This means negligible time for socializing. While a single bus ride is only 15-20 minutes from home to my destination, I learnt the importance of the journey. This is kind of a ME time. I have felt a wide spectrum of emotions while travelling on a bus including growth, hope, frustration, anxiety, loneliness, comfort, confusion, self-doubt etc.
The Last Transit, acrylic on stretched canvas, 2024
My idea was to express the current phase of my life. Lately it feels like everything is going wrong. I wanted to show a sense of mystery, sadness with a moody colour palette. While thinking about a composition for this, I remembered a video reel I created some time ago. This shot was taken at night while traveling back home from work. I held the camera and recorded a video which I then edited into a reel. I chose to paint a frame of this reel because of various reasons: 1. It was nighttime which resonates with the idea I wanted to express. Personally, I feel emotions in more intensity at nights. 2. Reflection of the figure on the window shows the person with a neutral expression and a pose suggesting deep thinking. 3. The lights of the buildings outside the bus passing away gives a double exposure imagery, while also adding the element of passing time. Finally, I decided to make it rainy to add more emotions and also adding movement in the composition.
