CHENNAI: Art works of gods and goddesses intricately painted and studded. They shimmer and sparkle, as we walk forward to take a closer look. Visibly excited about exhibiting her art work for the first time, City Express caught up with Valli Panchanathan, the artist behind these paintings. “I never thought I will have my solo exhibition. This is like a dream come true,” shares the artist.
Valli began painting five years ago and says that it happened by chance. “I started my career with posts and telegraph department at Thanjavur (in the administrative department). After marriage, I left my job and my life revolved around my family,” recalls the Commerce graduate.
After spending years raising her family, Valli decided to spend some quality time for herself. “My children completed their education and went abroad for higher studies and my husband is an engineering consultant. So, he’s travelling all the time. Since I wanted to do something to keep myself occupied, I decided to paint,” she says.
She caught us looking at an image of Krishna on a chart paper with glitter glue and she points out, “That’s the drawing I started with, and then I drew Mahalakshmi. Both came out surprisingly well, and my relatives and friends who visited home encouraged me a lot. I wanted to increase the life of the painting; so I moved to oil paints from fabric. Well, there has been no looking back since then!” she smiles.
All her works are embellished with small decorative stones and she calls her art, ‘Studded-oil painting’. “I wanted jewellery of the gods to look realistic and also wanted to give it a shine. That’s why I took up this technique,” she explains.
Vivid and vibrant colours adorn her paintings. Peacock is a common element in most of her works. Why? “Peacock is such a beautiful bird. You’ll find peacock and its feathers in most of my paintings. It brings a sense of positivity,” she explains.
A nature enthusiast, Valli wants to paint more nature-based images. Taking us to the canvas, which has the silhouette of an elephant, she explains, “Nature intrigues me and I want to paint more of it. I find oil paintings a challenge. You have to wait for each layer to dry before moving to another, but it gives the best finish.”
Valli has only one goal: “I want to paint more and do more studded oil paintings. I want to create a style for myself and be good at that. Had I known before that I had this talent, I probably would have stepped in it earlier. But, it’s never too late!” she exclaims.
Her art works will be on display at D’Expression at hotel Ambassador Pallava until June 30. For details, call 28554476