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Some thoughts
I feel the most effective way to
learn to paint is to experiment. Most essential thing to do is to enjoy it. I
have no formal education in Art, but I was always keen on painting. Soon after
my graduation (in Physics) I decided to make painting my full time activity. More than the media, subject matter of the painting is important to me.
I started painting in Acrylics and watercolours and now also use oil and mixed
media to achieve the desired result.
Though I finish my paintings indoors the sketches done on the field form the
basis for them. Nature is my inspiration and she never stops surprising me. The
best experience is when I draw or paint outdoors with no constraint of producing
the best; without deliberate effort to 'get it right'. It's the purest form of
expression of my emotions. Experience of sitting at the edge of a stream or in a
thick forest long enough to 'vanish' and become the part of the surroundings is
probably recognizable to a lot of us. The bird activity which has ceased with
your appearance on the scene initially, starts after you become a part of the
ambience. Its a wonderful feeling of acceptance into their world, which can get
addictive.
Nobody in my family is an artist and I probably inherited these genes from a
distant grandfather who did beautiful full-sized pencil-portraits, which we
still have. For as long as I remember I have been drawing and painting - on the
walls of my house, in my school books. I drew birds, animals and human figures
in a very stylized form then. The Indian art forms like the Kalamkari, Warli and the
Indian Miniature form of painting were the first inspirations. I did a lot of drawing
more than painting initially. Copying the impressionists like - Edgar Degas,
Toulouse Lautrec, Monet was a great education in itself.
Some of my favorite wildlife painters are - Lars Jonsson, Raymond Harris-Ching,
Robert Bateman.
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Flora and fauna have been integral part of Indian culture, religion and art
for centuries. Exploitation of nature is not an Indian idea and people in India
have lived in harmony with nature for ages. Conservation has been a part of
religion for Indians. Many rituals associated with everyday life as well as the
festivals encourage preservation of nature. Sadly the original reasons for these
rituals are being replaced by celebrations. With rapid 'development' (to which
all of us contribute) the
need for conservation is increasing rapidly.
I do some conservation related work although intermittently with a group that
I've formed with some like-minded friends. I hope to do some substantial work in
future. I am also associated with The Ecological Society - Pune. founded by Prof. Prakash Gole. |
