He speaks of the “mesmerizing colours of the paddy fields in front of my home, pleasant colourful hues of sunrise behind the hills, deepest greens of the forest and calm blue water in the lakes” and that’s what his exhibition “Nature’s blessings” on view at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath is all about.
Venkatesh paints imagined landscapes, of moonlit nights of midnight blue and purple, sunset at the horizon reflecting off a river or fairytale bridges over glassy lakes. He paints grassy river banks; sunlight filtering in through the woods, sometimes gold and sometimes green; or canals flowing through verdant fields.
He paints seascapes in gentle watercolours, valleys with snowy peaks in the distance, deer in the woods and rustic landscapes. “I hail from a village called Kaarinja in Dakshin Kannada and I have been inspired by the landscapes of my hometown. My paintings are an expression of my vision of nature, of Mother Earth and her colours,” says Venkatesh, an engineer turned self-taught artist. Venkatesh says he was deeply inspired by Mohan Kumar Permude, an artist who hails from the Mangalore region.
The exhibition features classic landscapes in acrylics, watercolours and oils. He also paints flowers, hibiscus, sunflowers and sometimes just colourful clusters and wildlife, butterflies, peacocks, deer and birds. His exhibition, he adds, serves as a reminder that nature is beautiful must be protected and it is our duty to preserve nature.
“Nature’s Blessings” will be on view until November 20 at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumara Krupa Road. For details, contact 09845974500.
