We got a chance to share a few moments with an eminent artist from Indore – Aparna Bidasaria. Her style of painting & putting colors on canvas will surely inspire a lot of budding artists from our city; that made us conversate with her.
When did art take shape in your life?
It always existed in my life. But, it truly started to take shape after 12 years of my marriage, after being a mother of two beautiful girls and having some time to myself..Before that it was just a hobby.. Academically, I took it up as MA in drawing and painting from New GDC College, Indore, then did a BA in Fine Arts From IPS, Indore. Later, I worked under Brajmohan ji Arya for 2 years. And now its been 8 years of training; exploring as an artist!
Who /what influenced you to be an artist?
Vincent Van Gogh has been my singular hero! I’d love reading about him, his dialogues with self , his psychological state, would look at his compositions for inspiration and depth from college time.
The subject of your paintings is Banyan tree..How did it evolve?
One day while eating breakfast ,I looked at sprouts, then I started exploring about seeds, their growth under the earth and above it. I found it very interesting to look at the forms of seeds, a life growing out of it and eventually I connected with banyan trees..
How do you visualize or capture your thoughts about work?
I love looking at banyan trees and totally admire them , I go to Bercha ,sketch them using pastels, charcoal, ink etc. I am very observant about how the sunlight, raindrops are falling on the trees; the movement and texture of their branches and roots .
Your paintings have patterns of drops and drips, how did this style come into being?
In one of my initial paintings I decided to have not so realistic sunlight, to bring that effect I splashed colors, dripped paint with brushes , I liked how the drops of colors fell and merged into one another and became layers. Eventually, I started using this method of pointillism on all my canvases.
The layers of your paintings look like they are merged into one single piece, how? what is the no. of layers you have in one painting?
Yes, they look one and a whole in itself as it is a repetitive process of pouring, splashing; dripping paint one on top of the other. I do 3 layers a day maximum, the layers go at least up to 50 in number for a single painting!
How did you feel about selling your artworks?
My paintings are a part of me, the first few times I felt unpleasant selling them as I had a emotional bonding with them , over the years I have developed a sense of detachment with them. A piece of work now is over for me as soon as I finish wrapping it .Appreciation is the true earning that an artist earns , selling is a secondary part.
Would you like to share the insights about your show Time and Being?
Oh why not, this show is a travelling show, which was first showcased at Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal in February 2017, then in Shri Dharani Triveni Kala Sangam ,Delhi in April 2017, from 14-20 th August 2017 it will be open for all art enthusiasts and buyers at Jahangir Art Gallery , Mumbai. The paintings in this show are on canvas, painted in hues of cream and gold which are subtly giving clues of, sunlight and summer heat ,monsoon and wilderness peeping through trees.
In Aparna’s own words,
“My colors try to catch the intensity of the sun,
The cool & quite of the Bargad’s shadows,
The magic & more that the Banyans means to me…”