" If you’re terrified that you’ve got to make great work, it’s a recipe for disaster. If you do it out of passion, fun and joy, and just have a good time with it, you really and truly cannot fail. I guarantee that the more fun you have with your work, the better your work will be and the more your career will succeed without you having to worry much." (Lilla Rogers)
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In the late 1800s, artists in France were trying different ways of painting. They experimented with color and light and began to paint outdoors; they even broke rules which western artists followed for a long time. These artists were known as IMPRESSIONISTS.
So how did the Impressionists got their name?
They got their name from an oil painting done by Claude Monet. He painted a picture of sunrise and called it as "Impression, Sunrise". He used very loose brushstrokes without precise clean lines; it shocked the entire art world but it paved the way for a new style of art.
Another major influence was ukiyo-e art prints (Japonism). The art of these prints contributed significantly to the "snapshot" angles and unconventional compositions that became characteristic of Impressionism.
I illustrated a chapter book "Regional Stories of India" for Scholastic India last year. It was a collection of 3 stories by 3 different authors. The story "A Rumbly Feast" written by Rohini Vij was about a girl Bamru from the Gaddi tribe of Himachal Pradesh; the next story "Manicure in Mundirikuppam" written by Subhashree Giridhar was set against the backdrop of the coastal region of TamilNadu and the story "Under the Mahua Tree" written by author Lavanya Kapahi, was about a brave girl Mili belonging to the Korku tribal community in the Melghat region of Maharashtra. This was a research heavy project which spanned 2-3 months (Aug - mid Oct) in 2023 and was published in December 2023. I created around 40+ illustrations for the entire book. It was challenging but at the same time a great learning experience about the diverse communities of India.
