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I have to say that I have been an artist at heart right from when I was a little girl. I was always drawing with my colored pencils on every single piece of paper I could find. So much so that Mom had to keep some papers out of my reach. My real exposure to the world of art was when I was 6 years old when an artist moved in the house next door. I quickly befriended Indrani Ghosh and started painting along with her. Of course, her artwork involved professional oil paintings and mine involved coloring books. She introduced me to water colors and taught me the very basics of painting, how to hold the brush even. As she listened to fine music I used to watch her hum along and create the most beautiful looking landscapes. This process itself instilled in me skills of visualization, composition, combination, and much more.
This went on for a couple years until she moved and I was limited to the drawing classes at school, which weren't much at all. Seeing my interest in art, my mother encouraged me to draw and paint more and when I was 11 I took the state level drawing exam back in India. This is a set of two exams held over a period of couple of years organized by the state of Maharashtra to recognize artistic talent amongst kids. They're called the Elementary and Intermediate drawing exams. The watercolor skills I had learned from Indrani were a huge help in ensuring that I passed these exams.
After this there wasn't much that the state or the school provided. But, the school provided Math and that's another thing I enjoyed, mostly because seeing a connection between numbers comes naturally to me. My interest in Math and the fact that I come from a family of engineers and doctors, saw me pursuing the technical side of me. I got a Masters in Electrical Engineering and now work full time as an engineer who makes cell phones sound better. During these years of school and work, I painted off and on but could never do it regularly mostly because of the challenging and competitive engineering world. While I was at the University of Arizona doing my masters, the walk from home to the Department of Electrical Engineering had me passing by the School of Art, daily! I would wander in at times, looking at students' and professors' work there. Finally, I did take a class there and I have to admit, that was the most fun class I have ever taken. The professor, Dr. Andrew Polk, did a wonderful job getting his students to tap into their creative pools, while still instilling the fundamentals of art. Another class at the community college while I was also working long hours helped me keep up with my art projects.
I would say that I'm a self-taught artist, but it wouldn't be possible without all the artists I have had the good fortune to learn from along the way. Being a member of the East Valley Art Guild, here in AZ, has given me the opportunity to be around some really talented and well-known artists. My husband, Ryan, has been my biggest source of support and also my biggest critic. Of course, my family and my dear friends have always believed in me, at times much more than I have myself.
I love colors. I like to find beauty in almost everything I look at. This inspires me to capture what I see in my paintings. I use watercolors, acrylics and a lot of texture in my paintings and the topics can range from tribal art forms from India to abstractness in the world. I also photograph quite a bit, mostly things that I see around me that make me say, ah! how beautiful! But beyond this, art is almost
magical to me. It takes me to a world of patterns, colors, shapes and forms. Painting has a meditative effect on me. I can get lost in it and hours can go by at the bat of an eyelid. "Good days" are when I can find a rhythm, a harmony between my canvas, my colors and myself. At that balancing point is where I can create without being worried about the end result and just enjoy seeing how beautifully colors blend in with my thoughts. The fact that we are alive and the elements of nature are my biggest sources of inspiration. To see how people of varied cultures can come together is another thing that inspires me. I try to combine some very old techniques (for example tribal art forms) with some modern ones (for example using modeling paste for texture) to create a good blend. My paintings are optimistic and I strive to depict satisfaction and hope in them.
I hope you enjoy looking at my work. Please send me an email as I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.
Thanks,
Meenakshi Matai.
