Art never really leaves you, even if you try to run away from it.
Such is the story of Deepti Sharma who has been a vendor at popbaani for more than six months now and she has been inspiring all of us to take up art even in the small windows of time we get throughout the day <3
We had a quick interview with her and this is a conversation with her where she told us what art means to her and how she went about her journey to becoming an artist!
The Interview
How would you describe your background and the way it has helped shape you as an artist? My journey dates back to my childhood. I loved coloring, playing with colors, and then started sketching. As a kid, I loved playing with colors, colors being the first thing I would always pick when my mother scattered them around me. When I was in kindergarten, we had boxes of oil pastels of varied colors kept at the back of the classroom.
I was so fond of the distinct oil pastel color smell that I would keep going to the back of the class to the boxes and eventually get scolded by my teacher for the same. In my later years, I made intricate sketches in my science notebooks, and my friends motivated me to do even more artwork which resulted in me making sketches for them as well. The joy of creating gives me immense pleasure and I immerse myself in it without any worries.
Which factors made you gravitate toward the art world? I am fascinated by beauty. The beauty of nature is ever-present; you just need to look around. Capturing that beauty is what I am inclined towards. You can say that nature's gravitational pull, pulled me towards coloring.
What message do you wish to convey with your works? Nothing is as beautiful as art; art in all its forms, be it painting, music, or dancing, acts as a stress reliever, helping to calm us down in mere fractions of seconds. Making intricate artwork is a gradual process; it definitely is a challenging task but with consistency, it can be achieved.
A lot of hard work, commitment, and patience go into making intricate pieces of art that soothe us in beautiful ways. Undoubtedly passion becomes the most integral factor, which brings joy to the art of creating.
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Are there any specific artists or artworks? Every artist is an inspiration to me. Any piece of beautiful work can inspire me. I totally get wowed by those works. Basically, beauty inspires me.
What are the challenges you face as an artist while communicating with your audience? Very few people are aware of traditional art forms. Post lockdown, traditional arts have got a good platform and outreach as artists, our art should be known to the world, and Indian culture which is underrepresented should get exposure through our artworks. Our traditional folk art should get its deserved appreciation and representation on a global scale.
Professionally, what is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? One should keep practicing consistently with complete dedication and passion. Never give up. Even if you are not satisfied with your work, you should keep on trying and you will surely improve.
While creating an artwork, do you decide on the color palette before or do you decide on it while working on the art? Sometimes I decide on the color palette before, pre-planning to make use of specific colors and at other times, I go with the flow and choose colors while working on the artwork.
What is your most valuable work, the piece that you hold closest to your heart? All my works are close to my heart. Whatever I create is close to my heart, therefore I did not even discard the rough sheets on which I practiced calligraphy.
Hope you enjoyed the interview and I do hope you found it useful to revitalize your perspective. Want to stay updated with Deepti Sharma's works check out her lovely products here and here and here!
