Reconnecting with the Canvas

A devoted artist as a child, Club Member Rujuta Paradkar reveals the joy of reimmersing herself in painting.

I used to draw and paint all the time. I was known as an artist at school. But I was torn between art and academics and, like a true Indian, I chose academics. I knew there was no money in art.

Even when I started [business] college, I had some misgivings and wondered if I should have followed art. But I got engrossed in my studies and forgot about art completely.

When we moved to Indonesia, I picked up my brush again. I was pregnant with my second child and I had a lot of free time. Painting is the first thing that came to mind. I wasn’t confident that I could do it at first but, canvas by canvas, I improved.

In India, I always painted with watercolors. Now I could explore new mediums like acrylics and oils. When I started painting again, I thought, “Wow, this is what I’ve missed for so long,” and I have never looked back. For the past 12 years, I’ve been an avid painter. I’m happiest when I have a pencil or a brush in my hand. The world just stops and I don’t notice anything else around me.

I have always painted people. There was a time when I painted birds and landscapes, but it never gave me joy. When I look at people, I’m thinking about the light on their face or the way a dress falls. But my biggest struggle is finding something to paint. I can spend two or three weeks searching. When I find something, the painting can happen in two or three days.

I paint from photographs and am constantly looking at portraits, faces and poses. I jump from theme to theme until something grabs my attention. I like plain figures, clean lines and some character in the photograph.

I used to paint in very bright colors, but since coming here I have been painting in pastel colors. Japan is so pastel in its color choices. I’m attracted to muted colors now. Also, I keep my backgrounds plain in a more minimalist way.

I don’t have space to store all my paintings and throw away a lot of my artwork. Once a painting is done, I often lose interest. I feel I have learned what I needed to learn. If I’m honest, I often don’t want to look at them again. All I see are faults and things I could have done better. I currently have 30 or 40 pieces that are close to my heart.

I’m very open to criticism. Without that, I could never improve. It’s difficult to know when to stop because you can keep working on a painting. Once I sign my name, I’m not going to touch it again.

I started teaching painting when we were in Bangkok because a lot of people started asking me [to teach them]. More than seeing my works in people’s houses, I really enjoy teaching. Even now, I hear from people I taught in Bangkok asking me to critique their work. That probably makes me the happiest, knowing I had a lasting impact on somebody’s life.

I don’t think a day goes by without me thinking about art. This is my life now.

As told to INTOUCH’s Nick Jones.