Share your favorites on Show & Tell

G. D. Arul Raj watercolors

In Fine Art > Show & Tell and Fine Art > Paintings > Show & Tell.
Paintings20 of 58Circle of Thomas Collier, 19th century watercolorsSaul Hanig watercolors
21
Love it
0
Like it

JazmineJazmine loves this.
mp.kunstmp.kunst loves this.
BonaFideBonaFide loves this.
vcalvcal loves this.
Daisy1000Daisy1000 loves this.
SEAN68SEAN68 loves this.
artfootartfoot loves this.
delfslbdelfslb loves this.
Vynil33rpmVynil33rpm loves this.
plein-air-painterplein-air-painter loves this.
TheonlyoneTheonlyone loves this.
Alfie21Alfie21 loves this.
fortapachefortapache loves this.
ho2cultchaho2cultcha loves this.
CelieneCeliene loves this.
jscott0363jscott0363 loves this.
vetraio50vetraio50 loves this.
RadegunderRadegunder loves this.
auraaura loves this.
WatchsearcherWatchsearcher loves this.
dav2no1dav2no1 loves this.
See 19 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 4 years ago

    kwqd
    (1184 items)

    My artist of the month for April, a bit early. I have been thinking about doing a post for this artist for some time. I really like his use of light, shadow and color.

    Gideon D. Arul Raj was born 2 August 1925 in Kodiakanal, India. He studied art at the Government School of Arts and Crafts in India. He later attended art school in Madras, South India, where he studied the art of watercolor painting. After the end of WWII he moved to Laguna Beach, CA. In California he painted and exhibited his watercolors of India and California.

    The Walter Foster Company published a book that described his painting techniques in the 1960s. I have a copy of this book. It is a paperback, 31 pages, 11" x 17", with dozens of images of Raj's watercolors at various stages of completeness. It is really a "How to paint like Raj" book. The book also contains samples of the color palette that Raj used. I think his work is interesting, but he is not well listed, appearing only in California Watercolors by McClelland and Last. I have a few other paintings by him, but the composition and colors are pretty similar. I think that more biographical information is now available for him since I published my brief biography over ten years ago. I has been a while since I did any new research on this artist.

    Raj died in June of 1975.

    unnamed, G. D. Arul Raj, 8" x 11.75", watercolor on heavy paper
    unnamed, G. D. Arul Raj, 18" x 24", watercolor on artist board
    unnamed, G. D. Arul Raj, 8" x 11.75", watercolor on heavy textured paper
    unnamed, G. D. Arul Raj, 8" x 11.75", watercolor on heavy paper

    logo
    Fine Art
    See all
    RARE Early 17thC Antique English Queen Elizabeth I Portrait Oil Painting
    RARE Early 17thC Antique English Qu...
    $3,151
    17th CENTURY FRENCH OLD MASTER OIL PANEL - CHRIST & STIGMATA - TABERNACLE FRAME
    17th CENTURY FRENCH OLD MASTER OIL ...
    $569
    17th CENTURY FLEMISH OLD MASTER OIL PANEL - THE CRUCIFIXON - FRANS FRANCKEN II
    17th CENTURY FLEMISH OLD MASTER OIL...
    $657
    MAURICE JORON (1883-1937) LARGE SIGNED FRENCH OIL - NUDE RESTING ON CHAISE
    MAURICE JORON (1883-1937) LARGE SIG...
    $45
    logo
    RARE Early 17thC Antique English Queen Elizabeth I Portrait Oil Painting
    RARE Early 17thC Antique English Qu...
    $3,151
    See all

    Comments

    1. LaurenRedmond LaurenRedmond, 4 years ago
      Really nice summery colours here, I love the way the soft shadows and light look, they're so well done!
    2. vetraio50 vetraio50, 4 years ago
      Great collection of watercolours.
    3. Newfld Newfld, 4 years ago
      They're all lovely, I esp like the one with the cowherd
    4. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thanks LaurenRedmond! Arul Raj was pretty good.

      Thanks Kevin! I've always liked his work.

      Thanks Jenni! I like that one, too.

      Thanks Jenni, Kevin, Radegunder, aura, Watchsearcher and dav2no1!
    5. Celiene Celiene, 4 years ago
      I absolutely LOVE these! Watercolor is my favorite. His use of shadow is indeed superb!
    6. Celiene Celiene, 4 years ago
      It's almost like he painted the actual heat of India!
    7. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thanks for your comments Celiene! He was very effective at conveying the moment in the scenes that he painted. I bought these years ago and was a bit surprised to see what they are selling for now. I have a few more in my collection but I don't think I made images of them and all of them are in storage. He was pretty prolific so it is not difficult to find his work. I vaguely recall corresponding with one of his sons a few times.

      Thanks for loving my Arul Raj watercolors fortapache, ho2cultcha, Celiene and jscott0363!
    8. Theonlyone Theonlyone, 4 years ago
      nice love the style..of the work...nice collection ..
    9. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thanks for your comments, Eileen. For a color junkie, like me, these were irresistible. Arul Raj definitely knew his subject matter, too!

      Thanks for your comments, Theonlyone! I really like artists who have a distinctive style who I can recognize without looking at the signature on their work.

      Thanks for loving my G. D. Arul Raj watercolors Theonlyone, Alfie21, Thomas and Eileen!
    10. Theonlyone Theonlyone, 4 years ago
      yes ( Thanks for your comments, Theonlyone! I really like artists who have a distinctive style who I can recognize without looking at the signature on their work. ) I feel the same way once you do a study on them ,I enjoy Cobelle's art which I only have one but its one I like,.. but he was a crazy guy and you had to catch him and his art on a good day like most artist I guess or you end up with their junk..smiling,... enjoy the day ...
    11. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thanks for loving my Arul Raj watercolors Vynil33rpm and plein-air-painter!
    12. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thank you delfslb!
    13. colleenamareena colleenamareena, 4 years ago
      I just found one of his paintings last week, and found your post through a google search. Thanks so much for the info! Off to look up more about him (and his equally talented brothers!)!
    14. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      The !s for commenting colleenamarenna! Congrats on your new painting. If you go to my profile, there is a link to my art collection web site. Arul Raj is on my California page.
    15. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thanks artfoot!
    16. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thanks SEAN68!
    17. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thank you Daisy1000!
    18. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thanks vcal!
    19. kwqd kwqd, 3 years ago
      Thank you BonaFide!
    20. aSwift aSwift, 2 years ago
      Could you list the title of the book you mentioned published by The Walter Foster Company. I could not find it on their website. I did find the California Watercolors by McClelland and Last on Amazon. I am interested in learning more about this artist. I have one original that I am told is by him.
    21. kwqd kwqd, 2 years ago
      Hi aSwift. Well, I have no idea where that book is, but I will take a look for it.
    22. aSwift aSwift, 2 years ago
      Thanks. My mother left me four slides of paintings and a note saying they were painted by Raj. The original I have is 21" x 18". I'm new to this web site so don't know how I share photos but when I figure it out I will post a photo.

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.