Paintings done using simple mediums are a treat to our eyes. You don’t need to know any theories, art history or even the subject of the painting. You look at them and it unfolds like an illustrated book of fairytales. They’re simple and easily understandable. Art works on similar lines are on display at the Gallery Sri Parvati. The works of Senthil Kumar, a junior engineer at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, have been put up under the theme Water. Keeping in mind that water is an essential component for living, Senthil has brought out different forms of water in his paintings. A native of Tuticorin, Senthil credits his guru, Prakash Nair, with teaching him the art of painting and sculpting. “At one point of time, when I wanted to follow my passion, I realised that painting was something I love to pursue,” recollects Senthil. “That’s when I came to Chennai and attended classes taken by my master. Unlike others, he gave me the freedom to explore and produce my thoughts on paper,” he adds. Being his first show, Senthil has reproduced what he observed in his day-to-day life. “Water, one of the elements of Panchboot, is something that our state has shortage of. There is an influence of water everywhere in our lives. And I wanted to bring out the beauty of water in various forms like that in rain, beach, river, flood and waterfalls,” he explains. Having done a couple of pencil sketches of the beach in Tuticorin, Senthil decided to bring out the colours in water and picked up his favourite medium — dry pastels — to paint them. “I’m comfortable with dry pastels as the shades and tones of colours can be obtained easily with this medium. I have also worked with oil, water colours, and charcoal, but the effect obtained on paper is better with dry pastels.”Senthil is not just a painter, but also a sculptor. At the exhibition, he also displayed his sculptures. “I had clicked a few pictures of mine with the help of a mirror. I tried to sculpt myself. It was difficult in the beginning, but Prakash sir taught me various methods used in sculpture-making.” One of the painting that was appreciated by everyone present at the exhibition was the ‘The girl with an umbrella’. The painting shows a young girl holding an umbrella to shield herself from rain. “The girl in the painting is my daughter, but I have painted in such a way that her face is covered with the umbrella,” Senthil explains. “Also, I have shown a contrast in the next painting called ‘Two girls’, where I have painted two young girls playing in the rain. So, water can be reproduced in various forms,” he adds. Those who congratulated Senthil for his first show included cartoonist Madan; artists Maruthi, Veera Santhanam, Elagovan; and Superintendent Engineer of TNEB, Anna Malai. (The exhibition is being held till October 9. For details, call 9840739626)
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