"Passion must be carried forward by honesty, patience and dedication to excellence." -Shital Keshari, Artist

To try her luck in the world of art inspired by creative passion, Shital picked up the brush just seven months ago which soon became a serious matter. She has made around 25 classy paintings in a very short span of time and is pushing it. Ironically, she is not making paintings with the intention of being commercial but only executed with the intention of doing something new in this field. Her recent paintings on display at the Asian Art Festival, New Delhi, and The Mumbai Art Fair left an indelible mark in the minds of visitors. Interestingly, her inclination towards painting was due to her 11-year-old prodigious daughter Prakriti, who started painting last year, which is commendable for a girl of her age.

Shital's versatile senior bureaucrat husband Ajay Keshari, an outstanding poet & ghazal writer himself, encouraged both wife and daughter, after observing their artistic talent. Shital Keshari spoke about how she suddenly turned to paintings after many years after doing a fashion-designing course:

Over to Shital Keshari in her own words:

Q. - What prompted you to become an artist?

Ans- Nothing else but the journey of time and destiny. It has never been my dream to be an artist but art was somewhere swinging in the cradle of my mind within me during my childhood in different formats. I did my fashion designing course and could have easily excelled in fashion designing but my destiny willed something else for me. You will be surprised to know that I suddenly moved to spread colors with a brush on canvas only seven months ago. However, I was assisting my daughter while she was facing problems with her particular painting right from November 2021. I can fairly say that my artistic mind sailed me in the stream of painting.

Q.- How has been the journey so far?

Ans- No matter how short the journey has been, it has been at least spectacular. My first painting (May 2022) was just a reproduction of 'Shakuntala' made by Raja Ravi Varma, which filled me with high confidence. I learned a lot when I was replicating the virgin of rocks. After that, I started making original drawings with a combination of my concepts and colors. The 'Yagvalkya-Gargi Debate' was created by me to reflect the empowerment of women through knowledge. During this short period, I have made many drawings, from classical to abstract.

Q.- Do you specialize in any particular theme?

Ans- I work on a variety of themes and not one in particular.

Q.- How did you participate in the recent painting exhibition at Worli and how was the response from art lovers as far as your paintings were concerned?

Ans- Since I had so many miracles of colours on canvas, I wanted to display them organically. And yes, the response to my paintings at the Nehru Centre exhibition was overwhelming!

Q.- In this fast-paced digital world, is there a lack of interest/enthusiasm among people for painting?

Ans- Not necessarily. Creativity is not forced. It's natural. Look how I started painting this year, seven months to be precise! Digital platforms can provide you with how to portray your imagination in reality but there is no alternative to natural creations.

Q.- What's the painting scenario in India vis a vis abroad?

Ans- It's good everywhere, in India and abroad. I think the passion and platform of showcasing paintings and the interest of art connoisseurs in India is more evident in Mumbai. This specific art also has a long tradition in India. Since ancient times, the skill of painting has been one of the most important cultural activities for expressing ideas. Now, this art has grown and spread rapidly in India.

Q.- We hear your daughter Prakriti is also doing wonderful paintings. How did it happen?

Ans- Prakriti is naturally talented. She's very good at her studies also and doing wonderful paintings just going by her intuition.

Q.- Any future plans to take your painting activity to a higher level?

Ans. This is just the beginning of my artistic journey. There is so much to learn at every step of this journey and I have enough time to move forward. I have to develop a specific style for my unique identity that I am employed on and working hard for it.

Q.- Any advice you want to give the budding painters?

Ans- You can reach the top of success with your creative passion at any age. But if you have to do something in life, do the best, don't try half-heartedly. Honesty, hard work and dedication are essential for the best success. You have to work closely with coordination of brain and tools to take your imagination to surface.

Q.- Who's your idol in the painting field?

Ans- It is difficult to give a special credit to a specific artist, but Leonardo da Vinci and Picasso are my favourite painters and in India, it is Raja Ravi Varma and Avnindra Nath Tagore. Every artist has his or her own identity and specialty which inspire a lot.

Q.- How do you relax?

Ans- By doing paintings and listening to music and tourism.