Getting the foundations right

RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY

To cultivate creative thinking, mind development and enabling thoughts flow through colours, Siddhi Naik will be conducting her first water colour art workshop titled ‘Start Foundation Art workshop’ on November 3 at International Centre Goa (ICG), Dona Paula for children of five years and above.

The workshop will build the foundation as the children will be taught how to draw and paint; not copy the teacher or draw according to what the parents want but paint according to their thought and thus bring happiness and peace through painting. Siddhi has attended art classes/workshops in the past and has felt restrictions that would not allow her to draw or paint the way she wanted. During the workshop, she will teach painting techniques to each student – from holding the pencil to painting with flexibility. “Children are the future of our land and they should be creative, we can help them develop, motivate and grow in the art field,” says Siddhi.

Currently pursuing her final year of MBA with a specialisation in Tourism, Siddhi loves to travel and experience new places and meet new people. She brings out the essence of these visits in each of her paintings. “Goa is still undiscovered and has lot to offer if we preserve our land,” says Siddhi.

To her, art is something that she is born and blessed with. Born and brought up in a verdant village called Arabo in Pernem taluka, nature inspired her to paint. “I am into contemporary art. I love observing nature in the form of rivers, sky, trees, animals and so on. Also I travel a lot and travel has inspired me as well to paint. I paint structures, historic buildings, palaces, religious sites like churches and temples; I paint communities by doing caricatures of the people I meet, etc.” Her workshops are held under the brand name ‘Artravel’ as she ventured into art by observing and travelling and she feels that now art will travel from her to the young children whom she will teach to draw and paint.

For Siddhi art is a never-ending love, passion, dedication, happiness, peace and heavenly blessing. The medium of art she uses to create include walls, she has also done a mural (wall painting) of the height of 7-feet at her home; which she considers her masterpiece and it took around seven months to complete. Apart from that she paints on paper, canvas, bulbs, bottles, pots and human faces. She has even got pine tree cones from Himachal Pradesh and has painted them and built a tree out of it.

At 22, she has already been a  part of group painting exhibitions, one in 2014 at Kala Academy and the other in Bambolkar’s Art Gallery in Ponda in 2018. She was recently invited to the ‘Ramponnkarachem Fest’ in Arambol wherein she painted live. Siddhi says: “To paint in nature and people around is a different feeling. Every person comes to see and appreciate your work that feels amazing. I like interacting with people so while I paint I respond to and respect every person who comes to see me paint live. I started painting live only recently with 2000 people around me at the ‘Ramponnkarachem Fest’.

(‘Start Foundation Art workshop’ will be held on November 3 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at International Centre Goa (ICG), Dona Paula. Details: +917875340834/siddhi9657@gmail.com)

Open mic

An open mic on books will be held on October 19, 4.30 p.m. for youngsters in the age group of 14 years and above at Bookworm Library, Mala, Fontainhas.

Travel and learn

A travel talk on ‘Travel to Learn, Learn to Travel’ by Ramchandra Prabhu Salgaonkar will be held on October 20, 4 p.m. at 91 Springboard. Details: 9923388999.

Big Q

The 2018 edition of the BiG Q – the Sunday Evening Quiz Club’s annual search of the Best in Goa Quizzer – will take place on October 21, 5 p.m. The quiz is a solo, written one and will consist of 120 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. This year’s edition will be set by Rajiv D’Silva and will take place simultaneously in two locations – The International Centre Goa in Dona Paula and the Urban Health Centre in Margao. Last date for registration is October 19. Details: seqcgoa@gmail.com.

Photo exhibition

‘More than travelling’, a photography exhibition by Nuno Lobito is on display till October 27 at Fundacao Oriente, Panaji. Details: foriente.india@gmail.com/ 2230728.