Aspiration, sweat, inspiration – how these artists describe the road to creative success

Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly column of Your story, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the previous 560 posts, we presented a Art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecoms fair, millets fair, climate change exhibition, wildlife conference, boot festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

The 18th edition of the annual congress Chitra Santhe The art festival was held virtually due to the pandemic (see our photo essay series here). Hosted by Karnataka Chitrakala Parish in Bengaluru, the festival presented more than 1000 Indian and foreign artists.

See also Your story cover of six previous editions of Chitra Santhe: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015, as well as compilations of Best quotes of 2020 on art in the era of the pandemic, Indian art, the appreciation and practice of art, and the beauty and trade of art.

Maitreyee Rajput

“My art is an expression of myself. When I started to paint with dedication two or three years ago, what I wanted to do was find myself, ”explains the Pune-based artist. Maitreyee Rajput, in a conversation with Your story.

“I didn’t feel like myself in the hectic corporate lifestyle and felt like I was missing out on what really made me me. Painting began to help me explore my feelings, my sadness, my happiness, ”she adds.

The outdoor painting took her away closer to nature. “It was one more thing that I missed in the social life of the city. So for me, painting was a way to explore myself first, and then to express it, ”says Maitreyee.

Success for her comes from the happiness she feels towards her art. “Awards, recognition and appreciation from masters, peers and the public, as well as commercial success, play a huge role in an artist’s journey. It definitely boosts artists’ confidence and encourages them to express themselves more, ”she observes.

Maitreyee calls for a greater appreciation of art in society. This should happen early in a child’s education, by elders and teachers.

For Chitra Santhe, she presented the works in pastel and gouache The fields of Rumi, waiting for him, and Road to the sky. His works are priced at Rs 1,500 to Rs 7,500.

“I was a lover of Rumi’s works and when I read the lines Beyond ideas of wrongdoing and righteous acts, there is a field. I will meet you there, I thought about creating this painting, ”explains Maitreyee. She was also inspired by the beauty of a large mango tree at her parents’ home in Konkan, and by the tranquility of her time spent in the Himalayas.

Although the pandemic has been tough on the art world, she took the opportunity to explore her birthplace in the Sahyadri mountain ranges. “I have to be closer to nature, do my reading and apply myself more to my works,” she recalls.

Maitreyee appreciates the accessibility and wider visibility of an online exhibit. “In the current COVID-19 situation, this may be the only option. However, I miss the feeling of entering an art gallery, and soak up the richness of the framed paintings, exhibited and surrounding me on the walls of the gallery, ”she explains.

Kushal Kumar NS

“Art is a meditation, it is a realization of oneself like writing a visual journal and an interaction between artist and society”, artist based in Bengaluru Kushal Kumar NS Explain. As a commercial artist, he also won the Lokmanya Tilak Award (2011) and the Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy Award (2010).

In Chitra Santhe, he presented works of art prepared during pandemic containment, one of which lives up to its title Unlock 1.0. “There is a turtle and reflects the proverb Slowly but surely, we succeed,” he describes.

Slowness and regularity can indeed win the fight against the coronavirus. Her other works focus on nostalgia and the fulfillment of a child’s desires. Kushal’s works are priced at Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

It calls for more public participation and interaction in the field of fine arts. “Unfortunately, the visual arts are at the bottom of the scale compared to other arts. Therefore, it is important to present platforms and opportunities for art exhibition and appreciation, ”Kushal insists.

During the pandemic, he created his own YouTube channel and Facebook page, as well as art tutorials for kids and beginners. While he appreciates the wide reach of online exhibits, he believes that physical viewing experience is unmatched and should not be lost.

Swathi PN

“Art can represent so many things – for me it is a way of expressing myself and represents my feelings about the world in one way or another,” explains the Chikkaballapur-based artist. Swathi PN, whose works cover terracotta, paintings and sculptures.

She has attended a number of art camps and won several awards for art and arts education including Mysore Dasara Prize 2019 (for graphic work). One of his sculptures from a fallen silver oak in a Bengaluru park mixes aesthetics and social messages.

“Art brings people together. Appreciation of art helps to open people’s minds, by listening to different perspectives and points of view as well as interpretations of art. It encourages thoughtful conversation and understanding within the community, ”Swathi observes.

For Chitra Santhe, she presented works on the theme of ecofeminism and the empowerment of women. “Nature lover, I also worked on the theme of naturalistic beauty. Nature is always fascinating, and I aim to capture that in my works, ”she adds. His works are priced at Rs 4,000 to Rs 20,000.

Although the pandemic affected many physical activities, Swathi took the opportunity to strengthen his online presence. “I was fortunate enough to participate in an international creative drawing exchange program at the Artoz gallery,” she says.

She has also led online courses and talked about the role of art in life in collaboration with Rotaract Club. “I used the forced downtime to create new works for the future, experiment with new series and deepen longer-term projects,” Swathi adds.

She appreciates the global reach and client networking opportunities of online exhibitions. “It reduces the extreme cost of attending exhibitions abroad. A virtual exhibition is a long-term exhibition, even after the end of the event, ”she emphasizes.

“Exhibiting offline is never cheap. Between the cost of stand space, the actual stand and furniture, shipping, employee time, travel expenses, meals and many more, we end up paying a big bill, ”observes Swathi. .

She also offers advice to aspiring artists. “Whatever you do, the only secret is to believe in it and be satisfied. Don’t do it for someone else. Be what you want, be proud of your work, ”she advises.

“Success is good fortune that comes from aspiration, despair, perspiration and inspiration,” Swathi concludes.

Now what have you done today to take a break from your busy schedule and find new ways to harness your inner creativity?

See also the YourStory portfolio “Proverbs and quotes for entrepreneurs: a world of inspiration for startups” accessible as apps for Apple and Android devices.