Cats – black, brown , grey and white- painted on papers welcomes me. Menagerie of Animals, is the name of the exhibition on at the Art Houz.
The water-colour paintings are minimalist and use simple brush strokes. The colours have smudged, forming patterns and giving character to the animals. There are also acrylic paintings on canvas with solid colour background of cows, deer, goats, hens and dogs. Unlike the water colour paintings, acrylic paintings are more detailed. The eyes of the deer are big, dark and bright, with long lashes. Then there paintings of the bird, sheep, donkey, pig and monkey.
The 45-year-old artist, P. G Dinesh from Thrissur says, “My inspiration is nature. I started planting trees and herbs in one corner of my garden a few years ago. Now there are several insects, snakes, and small animals living there. It feels wonderful to see nature in its original form. Through my paintings, I am trying to convey the innocence of animals.”
There are also wooden sculptures on display. Collective Memories-I shows spoons and fishes hung from a boat-shaped stand . The fishes are hung by their mouth, and it reminds me of a fresh catch. The spoons are of different lengths and depths. In olden days, food was stored in an Uri, hung from the top. I have combined that with the idea of spoons hanging from a kitchen rack, and created this sculpture. It is only an expression of my creativity”, says Dinesh.
I notice that the paintings of cats outnumber the rest. “I love all animals. I have a cat, and therefore a better opportunity to notice its movements and expressions. So most of my paintings here are of cats,” explains Dinesh.
A painting of a brown and white goat catches my eye. A golden hue over its long hanging ears gives an illusion of reflected sun light. A detailed painting of a cat with big eyes and white whiskers is next. The grey cat stands out in the red back ground, and the detailed brush strokes gives an impression of fine, soft fur. The play of colours and shades of a painting is also noticeable in the painting of a horse treading over a green ground. The muscles of the animal are clearly defined by the interplay of colour and shade by the artist.
There are also wooden sculptures of cats. “I used trees that fell during the rain. It already contains within it. I just polish and mould them to bring it to form”, says Dinesh.
The exhibition is on till October 19; 11.00 AM to 7.00 PM