Kalakar Jayant
I used to paint in my school days in 1980s. This hobby was lost in a corner of my mind in the race of formal education. I became a Computer Engineer and became too busy in corporate life!
Inspired by the work of artist Bob Ross, “the urge” to paint came back in the late 1990s. However, it didn’t last for long. Probably it was waiting for the guidance of a master. It was around 2007 that I met with two watercolor masters, Mr. Milind Mulick and Mr. Sachin Naik, from Pune, India. They inspired and guided me to bring the hobby back to life and sustain!
Watercolors are magical. Dry colors sit on the palette looking dead. As soon as I touch them with water they suddenly become alive and sparkle showing their true colors! When I lift them with a brush and drop them on a wet paper then magic happens once again. They start running all around, like a child set free in a big windy field. They merge into each other without any barriers and ego. This gives me joy, peace and a feeling of freedom!
This hobby has stayed with me for a long time now. Many things that inspire me to keep going. Continuous guidance from masters and staying connected with the groups and communities is one. But the most important reason, something that sounds a bit odd and trivial, is my messy desk with all colors, dirty palettes, brushes! Earlier I used to keep my desk completely clean after finishing a painting. When I started leaving it the way it is (more to do with laziness), things changed. The palette, colors and brushes keep inviting me to paint something.
Watercolor art inspires me to look at all my other hobbies and profession as an art: cooking, photography, computer programming and playing with a lot of gadgets and electronics. There are some technicalities and process to follow, but there is an art in each of those.
With easy access to the material, I start painting as soon as I have time and mood. I get immersed in the process for a couple of hours cutting myself from the surroundings. My mind stops listening to everything else around, leaving me in a state of meditation and calmness.
I hope you like my paintings and give feedback.
