Art to me is not just an external expression but also a deep internal connect. My artistic expression may be seen by others in the form of my paintings and sketches, but to me it is also a journey of self-discovery. As I engage in my art, I travel on the voyage of self-discovery. Each painting is an expression of what I have felt and how I have reacted to the subject that I have chosen to paint.
Painting is my profession and passion. I love to paint. I like to explore themes and subjects dear to me and capture their essence in my paintings. Over the years, I have been painting on themes such as nature, flowers, hills and heritage. I believe that an artist should always explore new ideas and forms. I do not believe in being confined to a particular medium. You will find my paintings done in mediums such as pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, water colours, acrylic on canvas and oil on canvas. Till date, I have done nineteen solo shows and participated in fifteen group shows at leading art galleries.
Art runs in my family and I hope to carry forward the rich legacy of my grandfather Padma Shri Dr. Vishnu S. Wakankar, who is best known for his widely acclaimed work relating to the discovery and research on rock art at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh. Lipikar Shri. L. S. Wakankar, was known for his pioneering work in Calligraphy.
Being a full time artist is not easy. You need dedication and years of practice. You need to explore new possibilities and learn through your experiences. There is no shortcut to success in the field of art. Art is an expression of the artist, which needs to reach out to people to get appreciated. From my experience, I can say that you should display your work in public art galleries or public spaces apart from displaying your art online on reputed art portals or websites. Presence on online art portals gives you the opportunity to be seen by global audiences, art collectors, buyers and art lovers. I have been represented by India Art Gallery and it has worked well for me.
I also enjoy teaching art. It is such a pleasure to see your students learn art and evolve as artists. For more than twenty years, I have been teaching art by conducting painting workshops for all age groups. My students are spread all over the world and they keep in touch with me and respond whenever they see my work. They also share their work when they do anything new. These interactions with my students mean a lot to me as I believe that the bond between the teacher and the student is one of the strongest in human relationships.
(Chitra Vaidya’s works can be viewed at: www.artist-chitra.com.)
– As told to Anuradha Dhareshwar
[/column][column size=”4/5″]
Anuradha Dhareshwar
Anuradha Dhareshwar is Editor, One India One People.
[/column]