Nature remains the only muse in these flowering artworks

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows/ Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows/ Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine/ With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.

— William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Imagine a world without flowers — the butterflies will go missing, there won’t be any scent of these beauties wafting in the air. And what will happen to the poets and painters who seek artistic inspiration in them? Wouldn’t the world be dreary without flowers? Always an interesting source of imagery, flowers happen to be the muse of  many artists. One such painter is Ameeta Kumar whose recent debut exhibition, Flowerscapes and Abstracts, concluded at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre recently.

A social science teacher by profession, Kumar’s heart lies in painting. She says, “I find solace in making paintings. This is my passion. I simply love looking at flowers and paint those in my spare time. Primarily I like to paint flowers but sometimes I also do abstract paintings. It completely depends on my frame of mind. I enjoy making both.”

Kumar has over three decades of experience in painting and has mainly dealt with the florescence of nature in her work. This exhibition is  an expression of her inner self. She says. “I like to observe flowers and petals. I have a beautiful garden where I have a variety of flowers. I am not comfortable in making human figures or animals.” She has widely used jumbled lines in black, silver and gold to depict the complexities of their existence.

She explores different mediums in her paintings. She uses paper and mostly silk and employs watercolours, acrylics  and sketch pens. She says,“To give more depth to the painting I use silk.”

A visitor at the show, Ritu Goyal was quite appreciative about Kumar’s art. Goyal says,“ I was never aware that acrylic can be used on so many different mediums. The show is beautiful. The colour combination is very light and soothing which makes it subtle
for the eyes.”

Kumar never quite decided upon being a painter. She is a trained sculptor. “I took classes in sculpture making from Triveni Kala Sangam in New Delhi. I liked that art but after I started painting my interest shifted. I explored the medium to the fullest and found out that I simply love to paint. Since then I have never looked back. The plans of life keep on changing and we should just go with the flow.”        

For someone who loves to travel, it was difficult to part with her love for  painting even during her trips. She says, “I carry my brushes and paint even when I’m travelling. I am in the perfect mood to paint when I am going places from one city to another. There are so many inspirational stories and landscapes that I see when I travel. Painting while I travel gives me unparalleled happiness which I cannot describe in words.”

Her love for nature is evident in her works which were on display. The biggest inspiration for her remains in nature and its products. “Nature, I feel is the best teacher,” she says.