Colourful route to one's roots

Traditional paintings are elaborately designed decked with pearls, stones, semi precious stones, glass pieces and gold. Artists of the traditional paintings concentrate mainly on eye catching colours, dashes of gold fused with fine artistic work. The paintings mostly comprise the images of Gods and Goddesses because traditional art flourished during the time when temples with architectural marvel were being built by the monarchs and rulers of several dynasties who ruled India. Colour symbolism signifying pictorial epitome is the uniqueness of these miniature paintings. The intense urge for artistic expression makes the painters to sensitively design each strand of painting with conventional and archetypical fervour. These paintings are generally high on aesthetic value. Tanjore, Vijayanagara and Mysore paintings embody the traditional Indian miniature paintings.

Artist Forum in association with Karnataka Lalithakala Academy offered the platform to the artists with traditional paintings across the state to embellish their creative brushwork on canvas. As many as 12 painters took part in this camp.

Speaking to City Herald, award winning painter Meerakumar, a fine arts degree holder from Bangalore said traditional art is very rare and these paintings needs more patience and commitment. Traditional paintings reflects our ancient culture. In fact I am closely associated with genre since 30 years. I do all sorts of traditional painting. I have traveled to many countries and have closely watched the paintings in galleries over there. I usually don’t copy from old paintings as most traditional painting artists are prone to do.
I try to imbue my art with my own ideas, maintaining the sagacity of the art. Traditional paintings are replicas of Vedas and gods and goddesses, she added. She intricately painted “Balatripurasundari” and “Gauri-Ganesha” during the five-day camp.

Artist Anu Pavanje from Mangalore feels abstract painting is not universal and it has less life span. Traditional paintings make common man relate to the art, she argued.
Another award winning painter M V Kambar from Bangalore said he was working on Vijayanagara style of painting. “The interest of the painter plays a key role. These days nobody is interested in painting traditional themes. The camp has helped to chronicle many ideas on traditional painting. Encouragement to artists by way of camps as this will help to develop the uniqueness of the art form, he added.  M V Chikkamutt from Dharwad said he was fascinated with traditional paintings from his childhood
The painting carnival was in fact an interactive meet and an occasion to exchange the ideas for the artists who assembled here from across 12 districts of the state.