behind the easel

Hi, I'm Bhairavi (bay-ruh-vee, but I answer to most attempts).

I'm a designer by training. I spent years in publishing, then traded deadlines for school runs and raised a family. A few years ago, I finally picked up a paintbrush again and realized how much I missed it.

I started with oil portraits. Here's the thing about oil paint, though: it takes forever to dry. Patience was never my strong suit, so while my portraits sat drying, I grabbed my acrylics and started painting flowers. Just to pass the time, I told myself.

Those "just passing the time" flowers turned out to be my favorite part of the day. I started layering them with oil, and they began to glow. Before long, they had a whole studio corner of their own.

So that's what this place is: the paintings that happen while it dries.

Have a look around. These ones have had plenty of time to dry. I hope something here makes you smile.

Bhairavi holds a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design. She paints from her home studio in Western Massachusetts.