Brush with Nature

When legendary painter MF Husain died earlier this month,his long-time friend and veteran artist,K Laxma Gaud,was attending an art camp in the hills of Kumaon.

It is that time of the year again when the artist community looks for informal spaces to create art

When legendary painter MF Husain died earlier this month,his long-time friend and veteran artist,K Laxma Gaud,was attending an art camp in the hills of Kumaon. Gaud took to the canvas and painted a tribute. The painting that had a shepherd with Husains smile,tending to his herd of animals in the middle of a beautiful Himalayan landscape was created in the picturesque Kumaon at the art camp titled Aarambh,alongside the likes of artists Shobha Broota and Gopi Gajwani. When I heard the news of his death,I immediately wanted to put it on canvas to release the sense of loss, says Gaud,71,who added that such camps often provide him with inspiration to create good art work. By now,Gaud has attended almost 40 such camps. The organisation,Rasa Foundation,which put together this camp,is planning another one in the next couple of months.

For a few days every year,luxurious spas and five-star hotels tucked away in idyllic locations like Nainital,Puducherry and Jaipur,or even Nepal and Pakistan,come alive with the buzz of art talk. We hold the artists at our properties and invite them to paint and interact with each other, says Vibhas Prasad,the director of Leisure Hotels,a group that hosts artists regularly at art camp held in Uttarakhand.

Story continues below this ad

I came to this particular camp because I know that the organisation is building up a collection. Plus,the atmosphere here is so productive, says Goa-based artist Rajan Shripad Fulari.

Renowned artist Shobha Broota feels that these camps are a refreshing change for artists,who are usually cooped up in studios. Moreover,I get to have opinions from other artists, she says.

Also,according to most artists,what is written in fine print is that the artists must donate two paintings (usually) as the payment to the organisers.

But sometimes the artists may not be serious about it,and may regard it as a holiday. However,Sanjeev Bhargava,of Seher,a Delhi-based cultural organisation,vehemently denies this. Weve been organising artist camps for last two decades. We provide the artists with a productive environment to work and will hold exhibitions in Zurich and Amsterdam by the end of the year. Bhargava has invited artists from India and Pakistan in the past to paint the Taj in their own way. They also organised various theme-based camps called Puducherry Blue in 2010 and Kerela Green earlier this year.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram