The enthralling blend of colours encapsulating the nuances of emotions sheathed the beats of the heart. The brushstrokes not only creates a masterpiece to wonder about but carries the outpouring of passion. The dribbling colours, the strokes, the canvas and the passion fuse to bring out splendid artistry. The whispered saga of the creator’s heart is well elucidated by the strokes, it resonates with the chords of its admirers.  

Art is a form of expression that subtly soothes the soul and lifts spirits. It magnificently emanates a beautiful message that gets captured in the attic of our hearts. Each shade of colour depicts a different story, each stroke a different emotion. 

Meet some exceptional artists who will make us entwined to the magnificently expressed sagas in disguise of colours on their canvases. 

Puja Kumar – She resplendently nurtures nature through her brushstrokes. 

She beautifully captures the vibrance of nature in her art. The flowers that enchant us, reciprocate equitably on the canvas of Puja. The subtle blend of colours brings out the astounding art, and never fails to highlight the intricacies. The eye-soothing and heart-warming art have made us stuck on to its beauty and wrapped us with fascination. The splatter of colours will swaddle you with admiration. 

Guin Srikanta- His painted colours are a disguise of unsaid sagas and unexpressed emotions. 

The landscapes painted by him express the emotions and showcase the saga, enveloped in the heart of Srikanta. From the morning light to the rural abode and the unique depiction of friends, he has swaddled us with enchantment. We find ourselves wanderlust in the abode of his colours, seeking more enchanting stories that stick to our hearts. He is the creator of art that magnificently captures the intricacies and subtleties. 

Mahesh Honule- Lead us to the fascinating art gallery 

The fascinating art recreating the forts, villages and varied other places captured by the astounding art pieces framed by Mahesh has outpoured creativity. The resplendence of places equated itself to its coloured depiction on canvas. It seems like reventuring the routes, but this time in the painted aisles. While some are the real depictions, the others are a figment of imagination that takes us on unventured lanes. 

Mahua Pal: Astounding arts commingling traditions

The beckoning arts of Mahua, from the Goddesses and celebration of festivities to the beautiful brides, she has uniquely put up her skills. The beautiful collaboration of colours of canvas and the colours of traditions is pacifying and comforting. The beauty of the Indian brides showcased by her mesmerizing skills is phenomenal. The paintings have not only grabbed our hearts, but also our fantasies. 

 Samir Mondal: The portraits painted by him, painted our hearts with applause

As the brushes dipped in the bucket of colours to put up the mesmerizing art pieces. Our hearts dipped in admiration. The phenomenal portraits of Madhuri Dixit, Rekha, Suchitra Sen and many other renowned personalities, made us wonder at his breath-taking skills. The beautiful depiction, some emanating messages, the others showcasing skills left us awestruck. His perceptive art is destined to enrapture the hearts. 

Sanjana’s journey with art is beautiful with all elements of ups and downs. Truly, we live for art. It is like a fresh breath of air and livening to the heart. For Sanjana, art was not just a splash of colours and mandala, but a door for a new chapter in her life. Struggling with her mental health, art became one of her mediums to understand and express herself. Born in Mumbai, and with an undergraduate degree in business management from London, Sanjana dropped all conventions and norms to follow the beat of her heart. It is sheer love and passion for art which is sustaining her. She is now an illustrator and an artist. 

The Beginning 

A 3-year-old Sanjana was already fascinated by art and colours. Like every memorable precious memory that gets stuck in our head and heart so vividly, Sanjana too had her moment with art. It was that very moment that made her realise how vibrant she feels with art around her.

The memory goes, as narrated by Sanjana, “Art has always been something I loved, but I remember the day I knew I loved it. I was 5 years old when I had to make a poster for school. My mum drew a picture of a chef for my poster, and I was convinced that my mum was superhuman and surely the finest artist in the world! Since then, I had an insatiable urge to draw everything and on everything.” To be a 5-year-old child and remember this surely tells the gravity of how dear art has meant to Sanjana since the very beginning. 

Initially Sanjana wanted to do Architecture, but realised that she wasn’t capable of much for it, therefore she willingly dropped it and moved to pursue business management in London. This was a turning point in Sanjana’s life. Halfway through her job, Sanjana was going through mental health issues. She got diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. During that time, art anchored her towards calmness and serenity. Sanjana did Zentangle art, an art form similar to Mandala drawings. The consistent lines and mark making produced immaculate and structured pieces of art, which helped her to cope. It was natural for her then to drop her job and make a career out of art.  

The Journey

Over the years, Sanjana has been in a much better place mentally. Moving on from Zentangle Art, she is in a constant pursuit of finding the art which resonates with her. Changing her art style completely was one of the courageous steps in life that she took.

Abstract concepts, colours, themes, and anomalous pieces of art intrigue her. She believes in producing art fit for the walls rather than conventional drawings for Social Media, which are forgotten. Sanjana told us that producing specific kinds of artwork, which were ‘social media worthy’, amassed her a lot of followers.

However, the main purpose of art for her is to feel something. Struggling with mental health, art has been healing and therapeutic for her. To not be able to connect with art in the same way frustrated her. Art reeled her in and became a reflection of her mental health. Sticking to one art style betrayed that honesty. Changing her art style led to a lower reach on her social media, but led to more enquiries on buying her art. On changing her art style completely, Sanjana says that, “It definitely felt like a moment when I had to take a huge leap of faith because I had to bet solely on myself.”

The main theme that Sanjana explores with her artworks is Identity. All of her illustrations and art pieces attempt to encapsulate the differences in each person’s identity. The distortions and unconventionality in her pieces celebrates the uniqueness of every individual.

Sanjana’s favourite artists are F.N. Souza and Egon Schiele. Their work on figures and faces are incredible to her. She also finds Jean-Michel Basquiat’s use of colour and expression interesting. On unmotivated and tired days, Sanjana watches videos and reads topics and concepts she finds gripping. The videos and readings of course result in new thoughts, opinions, themes and ideas which she uses to go back to manifest it in her drawing and art. 

Message for Aspiring Artists

Sanjana believes everybody has talent within them. For art, however, that’s not entirely the case. Art is in all of us, but hard work and persistence refines that element in us. As a message to all aspiring artists, Sanjana puts it in a few intelligible and honest words, “Passion is impossible to fake, and impossible to ignore.” She believes that if you find a path you want to follow, even if you’re pushed beyond your boundaries to follow it, don’t take it for granted. She asks all artists to have unwavering conviction in them because there can be days when the choices we make can fail us, but we should not undervalue ourselves, our work or our time. Learn, read and study, to unravel more about yourself and your art. Lastly, imitation of art could be flattery for some, but give the world your own true version. 

A quick glance at Upasna Modi Poddar’s social media account offers a feast to your eyes and fills your heart. This self-taught illustrator not just makes adorable illustrations but also conveys a short message that drives straight to our hearts. 

Born in Punjab, Poddar was raised in Delhi. Being a certified Jewelry Designer and Gemologist, she had her own label in Delhi. But the passion she had for art made her quit the job after 3 years. And there begins the successful doodle journey of Poddar. 

Early Days of Doodling

Upasna Poddar recalls how she used to doodle at the back of her notebooks during her childhood. She made comics for her loved ones, which made her realize that her passion lies in cartooning. Moving to Bombay presented her with an opportunity to pursue this passion. And she never had to look back. The most courageous things she believes she did was getting married, quitting jewellery designing and starting The Messy Art House! Recalling her beginnings, she fondly remembers the joy of sketching pets and their owners. She also shares the early struggles she had in pricing her work.

Upasna Poddar’s Stepping Stones

Upasna Poddar remembers how she had to give up her passion for cartooning since it was not a “great career choice” back then.  Though she tried to pursue Jewelry Designing when she moved to Bombay, the lack of good opportunities in it gave her the way back to art. And this way back to art happened through oopsidoodledagain. She mentions how art helps her recognize her own feelings and understand her mind. Her zeal for this career comes from art and the joy of its creation. Though Mario Miranda is her favorite artist, she admits that her husband and her daughter are her biggest inspiration. She finds her biggest source of motivation in yoga and beer. Apart from art, her interests range from food to travel to coasters to music festivals to all things creative!

Painting the Mundane

Upasna Poddar’s art pieces have a hearty message that she wishes to convey to her audience. Her illustrations make the little things in life seem so full of colour and that is precisely what she intends to do. Through her adorable illustrations, she gives life to the lifeless and nudges us to be grateful for even the tiniest little thing we are blessed with. Her artworks also speak to the womenfolk as she feels that women need to be stronger in today’s space and not succumb to anything. 

Upasna Poddar’s Secret to Success

Poddar believes that talent is innate and it is innate in each and every one. She believes that one can only dig up this innate talent and flourish it through hard work and persistence. To all the young dreamers, her only words are to believe in the dream and to go for it. Life is too short to give up on dreams is what she wishes to convey to all the dreamers. 

From being a Jewelry Designer to oopsidoodledagain to The Messy Art House, Upasna Poddar has come a long way. Her success story as a self-taught illustrator would make any young artist, who wishes to pursue their passion for art, take the plunge. Her love and passion for creativity and art are what made her story a success. Now as she takes her love for art to the next level by introducing it to the tiny tots we can hope that a younger generation grows up loving all things art. The road she took has reached The Messy Art House now, but we are sure it hasn’t ended yet!

Comic Strips cut to the chase. Maybe that’s why they’ll never go out of style. What can’t a human being do with a pen and paper? The creation behind words and art is heavy. They become a powerful medium of self-expression. Comic Strips are an alternative to storytelling. Sometimes they make you laugh. Other Times they evoke questions you’ve never had in your mind. All of this commentary and humour through a handful of dialogues and cartoons. What craftiness, what cleverness, indeed! So we present to you some virtuously skilled comic strip artists.

The Killjoy Cat

The Killjoy Cat describe themself as ‘maker of comics and doodles.’ Their comic strips are sharp with socioeconomic and political critique. Through rough doodles and strong commentary, they attempt to illuminate the ongoing crisis in the society. The Killjoy Cat uses their artistic endeavours to raise discussions about invisible issues. For instance, some of their comic strips sharply critiqued and deliberately depicted the plight of women during the lockdown. It talked about the domestic burden and the heightened eminent patriarchy behind closed doors. 

Uncle Subbu Comics 

Uncle Subbu Comics, A.K.A Ranju, is an Indian web comic, narrating hilarious anecdotes of a south Indian family through comic strips. She finds her creative pursuits and humour from her uncles and father. The autobiographical elements of her comic strips makes her comics even more relatable and humoristic. Her characters make appearances frequently, and you might just find your own favourite Uncle Subbu Comics character! Her humour is not only limited to families. She also illustrates embarrassing moments, movies vs reality jokes, and other real life narratives we can all have a good laugh at. 

Appupen

Appupen is a comics creator. Exceptionally talented with his pen, he draws with the right tones and satirizes with the right words. His comic strips commentary have a dominating aura to them. They’ll get your attention right away. His comic strips are brimmed with creativity, originality and imagination. The puns and ironic references in his comic strips are amusing. He incorporates these inventions to satirize the surrounding political scenarios. ‘Rashtrayana: Trouble in Pradesh’ is an independent comic superhero by Appupen, whose snippets one can find on his Instagram. From detailed, sophisticated comic strips to minimalist ones, Appupen’s message is always bold and clear. 

Tall Girl Toons/The Higher Point of View 

Tall Girls, this might be your favourite page ever! Finding a space where you think other people truly know you is for sure the happiest space. Having to bear with ‘tall girl’ stereotypes and shaming, this comic artist decided to talk about it in the coolest manner. Tall Girl Toons uses her appeasing doodles and charmingly spontaneous dialogues to call out on people’s stereotypical behaviour. She also creates an appreciative and self-loving space for tall women, asking them to embrace their tall body, and wear those high heels! 

Brown Paperbag Comics 

Brown Paperbag Comics is undoubtedly one of the most popular Indian web comics known and enjoyed by all. Sailash Gopalan is the face behind this. Tending to everyday Indian life, from mundane scenarios to ironies and peculiarities in an Indian society, Sailash illustrates them riotously. His webcomics have been received very well by a large number of audiences.

Art is the definition of expression. Expression of soul, mind, body and the materialistic world around us as well. There’s nothing that cannot be brought to life on a piece of paper. Art is the medium to let your mind free and give wings to your brush.

As amazing is the description of art, so are the creations of a strikingly skilled artist, Sagnik Sen. Sagnik, who is bringing to us his very life-like paintings from the ‘city of sweets’, Kolkata, is an artist who paints like he was born with a paintbrush in his hand!

Sen was born and raised in his hometown, Bally in Kolkata. Since then, he has lived with his parents and has been brought up in the same town. He completed his intermediate school years recently from Methodist School in Dankuni and is now looking for Art colleges. But his paintings don’t tell his age. One would just stare in awe at his paintings and believe the painter to be a well-experienced professional.

Journey as an Artist

Sagnik started painting from a very young age of 5 years and it became his hobby. Everyone who looked at his paintings, suggested to his parents never let him off the road of art. Painting became his very favorite extra-curricular activity. Having parents who themselves practiced art was a constant motivation for him. They always appreciated him and never saw it as a waste of time.

Sen is more of a self-learner. Watercolours always attracted him from a young age. He mentions some of the YouTube channels where he used to watch professional artists and painters to learn. James Fletcher Watson, Joseph Zbukvic, Alvaro Castagnet, Herman Pekel are a few artists he is admires. His current master, artist Madhusudan Das is the most inspiring personality to him.

Sagnik shares his experience during his school years about his skills and competitions he participated in. He talks about losing competitions he participated in due to some of the shortcomings in the supervision by his art teacher. It would be apt to say that a teacher plays a very crucial role in the success of a student. And Sagnik is the close beholder of the saying. With a new teacher’s supervision, he was able to win the art contest held at Nehru Children’s Museum, Kolkata. His life is filled with such incidents of ups and downs, wins and losses, struggles and how positively he has overcome them. His artworks have the story of daily busy boring life, the running streets of the towns of Kolkata, objects and portraits.

Sen believes that art is a form of the spiritual journey. His interests don’t lie in modern art, because as per him, modern artworks foster the hunger for success. To him, failure is an important factor in the life of an artist. It keeps him going.

Quoting Sen’s words, “Every kid is born a little different than the kid next to him/her”. He defines that talent is what differentiates individual and hard-work makes all the difference. His message to the upcoming artists and painters is to have the courage to do what they love the most. Every young aspirer like him should follow his heart and be realistic to the situation, whatever it may be.