A collection of exquisitely painted scenes of nature and its different shades was displayed at Chitrakala Parishath. These artworks are the creations of artist Madabhusi Raman Anand.
Dainty brushstrokes bearing colours that bleed into one another evoke feelings of purity and can be likened to a breath of fresh air. Most of the paintings are of postcard-pretty locations that are a brainchild of his imagination and his experiences. His colour palette is usually restricted to blues and greens but the occasional flare-up of warm tones adds a layer of actuality in his paintings.
Madabhusi Raman Anand works as a helicopter test pilot by day and paints in his free time. He paints an hour a day after work and has been painting since he was a child. From the 19th to the 23rd of April, his collection of 65 paintings titled ‘Watercolour Vistas’ were being displayed in Chitrakala Parishath – his second painting exhibition.
His collection reflects his work, family, the places he visits etc. His work takes him to Leh and Ladakh very often and many of the paintings mirror scenes from that region. Helicopters are also a part of his collection. His paintings also depict chapters of his day to day life – Defence Colony Park in Indiranagar, a painting of cars at a traffic signal through the windshield of his car on a rainy day etc. Monuments characteristic of particular cities were also painted such as the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru and the Mumbai cityscape.
The inspiration behind his collection has largely been inspired by nature and contains several images of beaches, rivers, forests etc. “Watercolours are a transparent medium and are vibrant and colourful as opposed to oils and acrylics. They are also quick and easy so it fits into my schedule,” says Anand.
After attending a workshop on portraits, he challenged himself to paint portraits of his near and dear ones – his wife Priya, son and daughter – Shrey and Rhea, his father, his classmate Ajay Rathnam, an actor in the Tamil film industry and his dog Diesel.
At another workshop he had attended, he had seen images of Spain which inspired his painting titled, “Dali House” and a painting of the Spanish coast.
When asked if he had a personal favourite, he points to the one titled, “Morning Hues” because he was able to use the colour orange along with shades of blues.
The entire collection was painted over a span of two years. A collection titled, ‘Alive with Aquarelle’ had been previously displayed in the Rangoli Metro Art Centre in the M.G. Road Metro Station.
Joan Cherian
