‘Water Colour’—no other title will suit the exhibition of water colour paintings by Madhav Shanker that is going on at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery in Kozhikode.
The veteran art teacher and former animation professional from Kannur, on a brief break from his teaching job in Dubai, has presented Kozhikode with a unique collection that could give budding water colour artists a lesson or two.
Not an easy medium
“Many mistake water colour for an easy medium. But in fact, it is one of the most difficult ones. Creating a beautiful water colour painting is a strenuous job, as it demands attention at a minute level”, Mr. Madhav says.
He says that lack of proper guidance is what drives many artists away from water colour these days.
“On the other hand we have the acrylic, which is quite easy to apply and dries fast. Getting the right shades and the right application, along with proper use of white space makes water colour painting tougher”, he says.
The 30-odd paintings exhibited at the art gallery are mostly on nature and landscape while a few like the ‘Kathakali’ stands out.
He agrees that landscapes look best when done in water colour.
Animation professional
A product of Brushman’s School of Arts in Kannur, Mr. Madhav was first employed by his alma mater after which he spent 12 years as an animation professional.
Different art
Animation is an entirely different thing and the role of an artist is very limited in it, Madav says, adding it, however, does not bind his creative efforts.
‘Water Colour’ was a spur-of-the-moment thought that he put into practice after watching the activities in the Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery in Kozhikode.
With the exhibition concluding on Saturday, Madhav has already landed requested from art teachers and schools to conduct water colour workshops for their students.
Before he returns to Dubai and his students, Madhav intends to impart a bit of what he has learnt over the years to the young artists here.
He also plans to donate any profit from the sales of the showcased works to needy cancer patients in memory of his father Sankaran Achary, an acclaimed sculptor whose medium was wood, who passed away four years ago.
