Finding her true colours

KOCHI: For techie Divya Ramachandran, discovering her creative side was a quest, a journey to find and experience art. Her paintings spill the drama in realism in all its grandeur. Her realistic paintings done in watercolour medium oozes unparalleled emotionalism.Watercolour has been Divya’s first love and it continues to be. “There is something about the medium that charms you. The colour, the transparency and freshness — all of it brings a rare brilliance to each painting,” says Divya, who works at UST. 

Some six years ago, Divya gave in to her calling to learn to paint. Back then, she was a busy techie with a toddler to manage. Although there was a brief period when she attended an art class during college, she knew the lessons she was taught wasn’t enough. She wanted to learn more. “I used to tell them that I wanted to know more about art, delve deeper. But those lessons weren’t enough,” recalls Divya. It was years later that she thought of making a re-entry.

“It wasn’t easy. I wanted a good teacher, someone who could help me understand it. It was a chance happening, finding my art teacher,” says Divya. Divya was at a photo framing centre getting one of her artworks framed. When she saw a myriad of artworks displayed there with contact numbers of the artists, Divya knew it was her best shot at finding her art guide. “I called on the numbers the very next day. And one of them back. It was artist Mahendran Vasudevan. And that is where everything began,” says Divya.

But Divya is a natural artist. Her interest and basic techniques all came to her organically. “I loved the world of colours and paints since I was a kid. But I didn’t go to any art class. I never knew that there was a possibility to even learn the art. I thought people are born with all the skills,” quips Divya, who rediscovered her talents in her 30s.

But the journey wasn’t easy. “There were a lot of people who discouraged me. They would ask why at this age, and I would reply why not! Painting helped me cope with the lockdown. It brings a sense of happiness to me. You see, you will never get bored when you have art inside you, no matter what form the creative juices flow,” quips Divya.