A brush with racing

8220;Landscapes are not all about mountain, trees and river; the beauty of nature is beyond ones' comprehension.

8220;Landscapes are not all about mountain, trees and river; the beauty of nature is beyond ones8217; comprehension. While some find the beauty in meadows and hills, I feel that the strength of nature is more defined in chiseled muscles of a horse,8221; says M Narayan, artist, for whom the derby has been a favourite subject for many of his paintings.

The bleak future for full-time artists in India could not dampen his spirit as he gave up on higher education to take up painting full time. 8220;I firmly believe in hard work and confidence. I was never deterred from the fact that artists in India don8217;t get recognition and money. I followed my heart, and by God8217;s grace, I am able to secure a satisfied life for my family. Faith sets everything right,8221; feels Narayan.

When asked about his dedication to the four-legged miracle, as he calls it, he says, 8220;We all evolve with time. Even I had started with landscape but later I realised that I am game for painting horses in motion. Rural India and Mother Teresa are also among my favourite subjects. All of them are an epitome of inner beauty. This love for horses not only satisfied my artistic urges but also gave an identity to me among the derby crowd. This has taken me across borders.8221;

After attaining a diploma in fine arts from Bangalore, Narayan started his career in 1991 in Pune. He sold his first painting of a landscape for Rs 10,000 in 1992, while his latest painting of a horse race went for a whopping Rs 20 lakh last year.

Narayan8217;s paintings have been on display from October 10 to 12 at the Turf Club. His paintings not only adorn the walls of various clubs and derby lovers8217; homes, but they have also found a place in Vijay Mallya8217;s luxury ship, claims Narayan.

8220;Big and bright always attract me. So I moved on from standard to wider and bigger canvas. Bigger canvas gives me full freedom to express my imagination. I am game for bright fiery and earthy hues. Shades of red, orange, yellow attract me the most, as it helps me to express the high level of the energy of the horse. Bold strokes are best matched with bright hues,8221; he says, adding, 8220;I don8217;t confine to any one medium and use all, be it water, oil or acrylic.