Early Days

Shital started drawing and painting as a child. Her mother engendered in her a love of fabric painting and Shital has fond memories of her childhood when she would join her mother in decorating saris, bed sheets, curtains, table clothes – in fact any kind of cloth that could be used as a display or as decoration in a home.

Young Shital loved poster colour and watercolour paintings and often chose as her subjects, birds and paintings depicting the Hindu God Krishna and anything that captured beauty from the vast world of nature. But Shital had many interests as a young girl and was drawn to playing music, in particular on the Sitar. She went on to graduate in Indian Instrumental music, and was also awarded a computer degree.

Taking Flight

Like the birds that she loved to paint so much it was not long before Shital spread her wings and left her homeland to land a top IT job in the UK. She remembers that time and the fact that the most important possession she brought with her was her sketchbook. She married and one day her husband came across her sketchbook and asked who had done all the sketches. He was so impressed by the skill that his wife showed that the very next day, to Shital’s great surprise, he bought her an oil painting kit and a large canvas.

The passion for her art that she had kept under wraps for so long was now unleashed and Shital started painting with oil on canvas. She also started doing wall mural art. But she struggled to give the time to her art that it deserved while she was still working and eventually realised that she would have to make a choice. Realising were her true calling lay, Shital took the bold step of giving up her job in IT to concentrate on her art.

The Passion

The commissions soon started coming in as she created Wall Mural Arts and oil/acrylic painting on canvas and on any surface that her clients wanted including canvas, paper, wood, wall and even metal radiators, and in the garden on patios and garden fences. In fact, Shital and her extraordinary talent can create beauty and inspiration on any surface that can hold colour.

Amongst her projects have been house art and a nursery school Wall Murals and Shital is currently working on a Art Project for a primary school where she is painting wall murals in two of the schools main reception rooms. Because Shital is as passionate about sharing her art as she is about producing it she is involving the Year 1 and Year 2 children, in the project as part of their art activity, an activity that she adds to the inspiration she shares with the drawing and painting classes she runs. (To see more about Shital’s art teaching work please see the ‘ Art Classes’ link.)
The Ethos

If you were to sum up this extraordinary artist in one word that word would be colour. Her passion for colour drives her passion for art. She describes the effect that colour has on her as an irresistible attraction along with the euphoria and elation that she feels when balanced colours surround her. In her home, especially in her own room and her son’s bedroom colour explodes in a riotous and jubilant display that delights the eye. In her son’s room cartoons and cars are painted over the walls everywhere creating a truly inspirational backdrop to a boy’s life. (Illustrations of the rooms mentioned can be seen in ‘The Gallery’ section of this site.)

A word from Shital

Shital describes the effect that colour has on her by saying:

“I get different feelings from different colours. They bring out my emotions and creative expression and allow me to transfer this inspiration to paper or canvas in a process that both satisfies and relaxes me. I hope you will see that in my paintings. All my paintings display different moods and tones. For example, Dragon and Sun depicts courage and determination – I feel this is a powerful and inspirational painting that shows that if you have courage and a will do something, you can do it. In contrast Tulip Flowers is a soft and subtle creation evoking romance and is very peaceful and calming. Then there is The Lord Krishna along with Radha which is an extremely spiritual piece.”

Message

This is an artist who has made her way from a background in commerce, music and IT engineering to devote herself now solely to her art. And we are very glad that she did! Please explore this site and see for yourself the inspiration behind this extraordinary talent.

From,

Samantha Thomas

News Reporter