The happiness pets bring us cannot be completely captured in words. But, Harshita is doing exactly that with her real-life watercolour paintings. You cannot scroll through her Instagram account, in which she shares her pet portraits, without a smile on your face. So, we can imagine the contentment she gives to the pet parents with her portraits.

Harshita has had an interest in art since her childhood days. Coming from a family where her mother, aunt and other relatives took an interest in art and crafts, she has always been surrounded by art. She had a natural inclination towards art as she could form an instant bond with it. She took art classes in school and also took part in art-related contests and activities during her schooling in Step By Step High School in Jaipur. She was also very keen on exploring and experimenting various fields in art ranging from glass painting to wood painting to mandala art. 

Her decision to choose her path in painting pet portraits came as a result of this quest for experimentation she had since her childhood. While seeking to do something that she has not tried during her earlier days, she picked up water colouring, which she found challenging. She notes how it is difficult to have control over watercolours unlike acrylic and oils, with which it is easier to rectify mistakes. She remembers how she had to start from the basics of watercolour. Beginning her watercolour journey from landscape paintings, she gradually moved on to portraits.

What made her pick pets to make portraits of was the compassion she had for animals. She notes that the eyes of cats and dogs “speak a lot” and they appear “soulful” to her. Making pet portraits was not an easy job and Gakkhar admits to having failed many times during the time she started it. But what kept her committed to it was the happiness her paintings brought to people. 

She recalls the first time she made a pet portrait for a friend who lost a few-month-old puppy. The sudden demise had caused a lot of sorrow to the family when Gakkhar decided to immortalise the puppy in her canvas. The delight with which she recalls the joy her friend experienced upon receiving the portrait speaks volumes about the self-contentment she receives from making the paintings. The cheer that her first portrait brought to others made her realize that a lot of people could connect and associate with her art. The personal connection that she could bring out with her pet portraits was what made her enthusiastic about continuing her projects and posting them on Instagram. Putting her work out there for the world to see helped her in bringing happiness to all those who needed their beloved pets to be illustrated. 

The love she has for the four-legged friends is quite evident in her paintings. But, you would be surprised to know that she did not have a pet growing up! However, she was always around the pets of her friends and family. Although she is a skilled painter of dogs, she remembers being scared of them in her childhood. Now, she says, she is happy to meet a dog and enjoys their company. 

Being a self-taught artist and having had her presence established on social media with her work, she strongly believes that any skill can be acquired by anyone if they are willing to be consistent. She believes that the struggle is in being consistent, disciplined and persistent about your dreams. She remembers how she had failed innumerable times while starting. Despite being scared of failures, she practiced regularly. She admits how some of her failed paintings do not make it to social media and how she tunes her feed to display only her best work. 

In an age where technology offers you platforms to display your talents in a world of budding artists, she believes it is important to stand out. She wanted to carve a niche of her own with her pet portraits and the first step she took was to create a portfolio. She picked 12 different dog breeds to paint and shared them on social media so that people could assess the quality of her works themselves. She mentions how reviews from her clients have helped her in gaining more recognition on social media. She holds reviews important as it helps in convincing potential clients and winning their trust. Genuine reviews can be achieved, Gakkhar believes, only through performance. She makes it a point to give her very best to each of her clients by putting in the same kind of effort and precision into each of her portraits. She also mentions how it would take time to build up one’s name in any field, but she is ready to strive for it. She does not hide her immense joy in being featured for the first time in the September 2021 issue of Buddy Life, a major pet magazine in India. She shared how great it felt to be featured in the magazine along with other industry experts while talking about this celebrity moment of hers. 

For a person who hasn’t had a pet growing up, it is indeed surprising how Harshita manages to bring to life the pet-parent pond in her canvas. She shares with us how the clients who reach out to her gushes about their pets in a manner one would talk about their child or a family member. She builds on this attachment that is shared by the pet and the parent and attempts to bring this connection alive through her portraits. She tries to portray the pets who have passed away from the photos shared by the clients and how they envision their pets to be remembered forever. She tries to render a heart-warming image, according to the client’s wish, of their pets either sitting in a garden, or with their favourite toy, or surrounded by butterflies. She finds her reward in imprinting the memories of their pets permanently with colours on her portraits. She finds this venture challenging and at the same time mentions how she derives happiness from it. What she learned through this journey is that each portrait and pet is different. Though there are several dogs of the same breed, she realized that each of them has its likes, quirks and traits. In her portraits, Harshita attempts to evoke this uniqueness of each pet. 

Her Advice!

To anyone seeking to follow their passion in art, Harshita’s advice is to explore different types of mediums and subjects. She suggests working on something that one could personally connect with and brings happiness. She urges anyone who wants to follow their path of passion to give it 100% and not give up. Another factor she emphasizes is consistency. She believes that the key to growth in any field is consistent practice. 

She is all set with some new projects for the coming months. She is planning to launch her first merchandise of the year – the 2022 calendar with live cat and dog illustrations – by November, apart from the pet portraits. 

Harshita Gakkhar stands out among many other artists through her consistent efforts and the competency that she has developed all through her art journey. With her talent, her willingness to work hard and her optimism, her dream of having people hang her portraits in their homes all around the world is not distant from her! 

Who doesn’t love colours, especially when they are put to good use in works of painting and illustrations? Which is why we have suggestions of some beautiful art pages you should definitely check out. Have a look at these emerging artists and their budding creativity, admire their practices and perfections, and maybe get inspired to do some art yourself! 

Sanghamitra Paul

Sanghamitra Paul’s artwork is a thing to behold. Her creations with their classic eyes, spirited colours and lovely scenes of illustrations are heavily loaded with a taste of culture and Paul’s unique styling and conceptualisation. Playing with acrylics and digital mediums, there’s not one illustration by Sanghamitra that wouldn’t catch your eye!

Mihika Srimani

Mihika Srimani’s digital illustrations are varied in the sense of their depictions, some dreamy, some realistic scenes, some of goddesses, some of people and places. The creations, however, are similar in their skillful attempts by Mihika, who not just fills colours into the works but also makes them familiar and come alive. 

Ipshita Biswas

Ipshita Biswas does digital portraits in wonderful colours with a spark of silver or golden. The striking aspect of most of her works is the way the shades blend in with each other giving the piece a distinctive touch of surreality. From some relatable illustrations to portraits of Kahlo or Indian Goddesses, Ipshita does them all!

Aiswarya R Kamath

Aiswarya Kamath’s page is a collection of works of watercolour, acrylics, and mandalas. They look like they’ve been attempted with conscious attention to details, and yet carry a sense of simplicity that is very beautiful in their entirety. Aiswarya’s work is of the prettiest kind because it makes you want to pick up your paints too! 

It is true, you can feel the fervour in the artist’s words – in the way they phrase statements when they talk about their art. You can almost hear the lessons they’re learned, the struggles they’ve overcome to reach where they stand today. You can see their eyes light up as you read the words they write when sharing bits and pieces of their artistic journey. Or at least I did, when I was reading Ankita’s interview.

Building the Base: Sketching and Colour Blocking

Growing up in a typical Indian middle-class family, Ankita’s childhood revolved around three things – “art, movies and picking up fights with my younger brother”. And we love that for her. She picked up art at a very young age. Doodling and sketching on notebooks, Ankita grew up to realize she would have to put her dreams on hold for some stability in life. Today, she is not only phenomenal with her paint and tools but she is well educated and successful
with a Master’s in International Business.

Trust The Process: Deepen the Colours

It was only during the lockdown last year that she got the chance to reconnect with her art. Before that, art was just a way she would ease the stress from her job. Now, it became a vital part of her personality.

When asked about her inspirations and motivations, Ankita mentions Nishikant Palande and his unique style of watercolour that she admires. She praises him as a teacher, explaining how he breaks the complex processes into really simple bits so that young and inexperienced artists can learn at their own pace. Ankita further mentions her family and close friends as her source of motivation, constantly showering her with love and support.

If you have seen Ankita’s art portfolio, you will have noticed the theme of capturing humane expressions and emotions. Her Instagram feed is an absolute eye candy, as you scroll past beautifully illustrated portraits. The detailing in all the pieces is simply immaculate. You can literally see the shine in the peoples’ eyes! So we had to ask her, does it all have a meaning? Some subliminal messaging, perhaps? Quoting her response directly she said, “Everyone has their own perception of the same art piece. If we take Da Vinci’s Monalisa as an example, when you pay close attention to the emotions expressed through her lips, the question arises – Is she smirking or is it a pasted smile to hide the inner conflict?

You see, Da Vinci understood that the unspoken poetry of emotions when expressed by the face, the eyes and the mouth will always rhyme. Hence both these parts in the painting have been deliberately left indistinct by the artist. For me? I like to leave it to the viewers to decipher the artist’s perception and come to their own conclusions.”

While talking about her struggles and hard work, she recalls one of the most courageous things she has ever done. It was posting her art online for the first time; Showcasing it to people who weren’t her friends and families. It was fighting the voices in her head that said her work wasn’t good enough and people will ridicule her. She fought hard; she put faith in her herself and she is here today.

And to be honest, it is truly baffling to see the talent this young woman possesses.

Final Finishing Touches: Highlights, Anyone?

Before parting, we asked her for some advice for young aspirants beginning their journey.

“To all upcoming artists I will say that art is a process; you only improve by making more and more of it and picking up artistic habits as time goes on. This is what will help you find your unique style. Finally, don’t be deterred by mistakes. All the failures, every piece of work that you were not content with, all of it are an integral part of the process and this will eventually lead you to find your distinct style, way of expression, your artistic voice.”

The great thing about art (no matter what the world tries to say) is that art is accessible and safe for everyone. Art comes from within. It’s embedded within the code that makes all humans, truly human. You can embrace art to escape, express, emote and exist. It’s the perfect outlet. And the best part is that you get to define what it means to you. To you, art can mean anything. You can study it in school, write a dissertation on it or just lazily doodle something and be equally cherish-worthy. (even stick figures can do wonders)

As they say, it’s the feeling which matters. Our artist for today will not only make the colours pop but also your eyes.

Meet Vrushali

Vrushali was born in Dhule, Maharashtra and raised in Pune by a family of teachers. Her mother used to conduct tuition classes when she was about 2-3 years old. To keep the young Vrushali occupied her mother would draw some figures and ask her to fill them in with colours while she would teach. So from such an early age, Vrushali’s interest in art had blossomed.

When Vrushali reached primary school, she painted in competitions and won a lot of prizes. In fact, she even scored a perfect grade A in the Maharashtra State Board Art Examinations. (talk about an impressive feat!). Eventually, as she progressed in school (both academically and artistically) she picked up other crafts like quilling, Henna design, Rangoli making, singing and sculpting.

All of this while maintaining a pristine academic record is no mean feat. As high school approached, she began to lose touch with her creative side once career decisions and future prospects came into view.  She has a Bachelor’s in Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunication and is now working as (wait for it…)

A software developer in R&D!

Style and Inspiration

Vrushali cites renaissance man Leonardo Da Vinci and post-impressionist Vincent Van Gogh as her biggest inspirations. Which is obvious to see, after all, greatness does beget greatness!  But personally, she calls herself a realist artist. One quick glance at her portfolio will make it quick for you to know that she loves nature. In her extremely exhausting and demanding job as a software developer, nature brings her peace of mind. Be it landscapes, florals, moonscapes and everything in between

When asked whether she, like many artists, has any hidden messages in her art she said-

“ “I want to spread positivity and peace through my artworks. I get many comments on my post and messages like “This made my day ”, “Looking at your paintings make me feel happy”, “A great way to start a productive day”. This is my biggest achievement, I think. It feels amazing when someone gets inspired and happy through your arts and creativity.”

Truly, her art is nothing short of joyful.

Challenges and Message

The daily 9-5 takes a heavy toll on the best of us. Vrushali’s job is hectic. So after 5 non-stop days of high performance and deadlines, creating art feels like therapy to her. Before the pandemic, it was hard to fit in a painting session in the week, but call it a silver lining & she picked up the skill again and started posting on Instagram. Her audience gradually felt strongly in love with her works. Now she even pursues high-end collaborations with some of the world’s topmost brands. Following her mother’s advice and belief in her abilities she now believes that one life is too short for all the heart wants to do!

Her message to all creative souls is this:

“as my story tells you can be in one career and still continue your arts. It just takes confidence and dedication. You must be passionate about what you always wanted to do in your life. Set up a goal and try to achieve it. I want to tell beginners to continue their work no matter what the outcome is, one day you will succeed. Don’t give up and keep going on. Learn from YouTube and skillshare platforms and develop your skills. Don’t focus on numbers (followers on different social media like Instagram, Yt), Focus on your own skills. Try to create art for your own and don’t let social media affect your health. Quality really matters over quantity.”

If you want to read another great artist‘s story here’s one

Imagine that you just saw someone display extraordinary measures of talent in front of you. I bet I can accurately guess the kinds of emotions it will stir up. First, there’ll be an electrifying wave of energy to start something new; to learn a new art form or hone an existing skill. But once a few moments pass, a totally different kind of emotion sets in—despondency. “Ah, what’s the point. I’m too old now”, “I’ll never be as good as them”, “I never studied this in school”, “It’s just going to be another colossal waste of money”, “I just wasn’t BORN with it”. 

This needs to change!

And we might just have the perfect story to start that change. 

Mahalakshmi Anantharaman is a graphic designer from Chennai whose talent speaks before her. Limitless, free and evocative is how one will surely feel after just one glance at her portfolio. And nostalgic too, certainly. She’s weaved her love for Ghibli movies, the introvert lifestyle and fan-arts into a beautiful tapestry. She often goes with the alias—Miss Blob Brush. And when we said limitless, we meant it. From typography to monochromes to watercolours or a digital reimagining of Starry Night, it seems there is no style she isn’t adept at. At Freshworks inc she was granted the ‘Exceptional Individual Performance Q2, 2020’ title!

But would you believe me if I told you that she’s actually graduated as a Computer Engineer!👀

The Early Days

Mahalakshmi was always an artsy person but unfortunately designing and art still isn’t given the respect it deserves as a legitimate and rewarding profession. She had to struggle a lot in trying to convince her parents that Software Engineering and Medicine aren’t the only way to succeed in life. During this time, she went through a period of great emotional turbulence. She kept comparing herself and let her originality falter. Doubt had crept in.

But the hope persevered.

The Turning point

While in her third year of pursuing a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Meenakshi College, Chennai she decided to pursue graphic design full-time. She reached out to some well-known designers from institutes like IIT and NID, while she developed these networks she also prepared to give exams for some of the best design institutes in the country. But couldn’t clear them. But because she ventured out and met seasoned designers and artists, she learnt the tricks of the trade from them.

After gaining enough confidence, she started applying for industry roles as a designer and worked with a local startup called Flintobox Learning Solutions. After a year and a half, she became one of the top SaaS visual designers in Chennai! (Talk about growth!)

Currently, she works at Freshworks Inc. as a visual designer and is working hard to try new software, gain new inspirations, and use art as a medium to leave an impact in this world!

Style

Like many illustrators and people across India, Mahalakshmi is a huge fan of Miyazaki movies and Anime. Spearheads like Kyoto Animations and Makoto Shinkai have spawned a new generation of designers who look at the world differently. Mahalakshmi herself says that she got inspired by the strong women of Ghibli movies to pursue her dreams.

And speaking of having a style, Mahalakshmi says that it’s really not mandatory to have one. Especially in the nascent stages of one’s career. Her advice to all aspirants is to keep looking for different inspirations and be as limitless & unique as you can be!

A Message of Hope From Mahalakshmi

For the young soul who wants to pursue their dream/ passion, especially from India:

“Do strongly believe that someday in the future, you will have a platform to showcase your work and speak up for the soul who has a dream like yours. You can change the mindset of Indian families who put their child’s personal life over their career growth. Trust in yourself that you get an opportunity to change this for the better good and help budding aspirants fight for who they wish to be, irrespective of the pressure from their families. And to the Indian parents there, please do believe in your child’s support.”

So, the next time you feel like trying something but doubt starts grounding its flags; take a leaf from Mahalakshmi’s book and give it your best shot! After all, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!

For another inspiring story of a self-taught graphic designer check this out!