There are
artists who are humble yet talented and gifted beyond comprehension? they
create the most magnificent pieces of art for the world to admire. Our artist
in conversation today is the wonderful Dilrukshi Chandrika, who has risen above
the rest to create a name for herself. She reminisces her humble beginnings
with such joy. We are pleased to bring her interview to you today.
How long have you been painting?
I have been
painting for as long as I can remember, since a child of about 5 years, I recall
drawing on the sand at home. It was a wonderful time and I am thankful for that
time period in my life.
Who are your greatest influencers?
My maternal
Grandfather was a sculptor, he influenced me a great deal. Apart from this, my
entire family is involved in artistic creations. I believe their support and
guidance has brought me thus far. I also follow the works of Da vinci and
Micheal Jones.
Did you have a formal education in art and
painting or are you self-taught?
I am a self-
taught artist, I have not studied art except for when I was at school.
Do you have a particular style? How did you
become so passionate about this particular style?
I am a
naturalist; I paint things as they are, be it a person, an object or a
landscape. I love to be with nature and animals, I am the kind of person who
embraces the ugly, the ones the others reject. I grow plants, spend a lot of my
time with nature. This has helped me immensely with my creations. I observe
very carefully, take photos of them if I must and spend time with the detail.
What are your other passions other than
art? How have these passions contributed for you to become the artist you are
today?
I draw murals,
create sculptures, which I believe is the influence of my grandfather, do a bit
of interior designing during my free time. Those who have worked with me say
that my styles are unbelievable. For example, even if I pick a curtain as a
part of the interior design project, it is something never thought of, yet it
matches so well with the rest of the furniture and colors. My hobbies and passions are also related to art;
it is difficult to separate myself from it. For me, painting or creating these
wonderful art is similar to a meditation. I have been told that my paintings
are dimly colored. I use a lot of bright shades, but I tone it down, mix a tinge
of black to create a mesmerizing piece.
Could you walk us through the process? Percentage wise, how much time
do you spend preparing for the painting and how much time on the actual
painting itself? Is preparation an important part of your process?
Yes, for
example, say I go to a lake and see a flock of cranes, what I do is, capture a
few photographs of their movements, behavior and the landscape as well. The
reason is that I always want to create a painting with movement, not just a
still painting. So it can be of a crane diving in to catch a fish, or flying
away? Next I go in to detail, observe carefully, gather the information I need
and start painting. The background is created by imagination; it is the detail
on the animal or item that I focus on most. My paintings are very detailed to
the point I even add the feathers on a bird. If everything is in order, I can
finish a painting within half a day.
Are you engaged in new artistic adventures? How is artistic exploration
important to you as an artist and to your process? How do you then decide what
to incorporate into your style and what you leave as pure fun?
I am currently
not engaged in new explorations. I am quite satisfied where I am at the moment.
It doesn't mean I will never learn new things. But at this point in my life I
work on improving my current skills and I don't necessarily use the resources for
this, but learn on my own. I will always be a naturalist, that is something
which will not change.
Was there a particular moment where you could tell that your skills had
just crossed over into being an exceptionally good painter instead of a pretty
good painter? What did you do to make that leap?
Well, those who
see my paintings have admired and praised my work and I am humbled by their
views. I have come this far step by step, whenever I
finish a painting I always ask for advice on improvements, things I need to
change and I make notes of them. So it has been a process from which I have
changed, learnt and corrected my mistakes. So yes and I am an exceptionally
good painter from what the reviews I have received.
How do you push yourself? Do you set goals for yourself? And if so,
what are the goals? Do you think setting goals is important for an artist in
his/her artistic journey? If so, why?
Goals are
important for anyone. They keep us on track. I have goals for myself personally
and for my career. When I was young I was somewhat timid, so I feel I may have lost
some opportunities So my long term goal has been to overcome this. I have to
build confidence within that my paintings are worthy. When I began I used to
paint a 1x1 canvas, now I paint a 10x10. This shows how far I have come in this
journey. My goal is to take my creations overseas, so that the world learns of
me.
How is your experience working with Aartzy? Do you think it is a useful platform for artists?
I have now worked with Janaka and Aartzy for about 3 years and I have been able to sell my paintings through this platform. The many returning customers show that they appreciate my work. So I am happy with it, but I hope I will be recognized world over as an artist.
Manesha Peiris (2021)