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Dhulikhel serves as muse for local artists

DHULIKHEL, JAN 12 - The tranquility of the mountains is enough to inspire even the most prosaic person. When artists get together in the naturalistic environs of Dhulikhel the scope of expressions in colour can be mind boggling, to say the least.
Some 110 artists from different districts of Nepal had gathered yesterday at the scenic town of Dhulikhel for the National Art Workshop 2004.
The artists, mostly professionals, adept at imagining and creating, had gathered to do the things they do best. To expect anything less than a masterpiece from each of them would be naive if not irrational.
Having selected private perches of their own, the artists had all they could ask for. And the fact that they were accompanied by established artists such as Sashi Shah and Krishna Manandhar only served to make their experience better. Many young and emerging painters were also present at the workshop.
In fact, some of the participating artists were very young. Almost too young. Ten-year-old Shrisha certainly did not have complex visions about the place like her older counterparts but she did say, "This is a very nice place." And the painting she was working on said it even better.
Popular painter Uttam Nepali, who had inaugurated the workshop, thought of the workshop as an extremely laudable step. "This programme has provided Nepalese artists with an extraordinary opportunity to see something beyond their normal confines." He added, "Unlike artists from all over the world, most Nepalese artists do not travel as much as they should."
"I cannot help being drawn by the depth of the blue of the sky", said Associate Professor Laya Mainali, another artist, on the occasion. The unmistakable hues of blue in his yet unfinished painting spoke much of his obsession with colour. "I think that the balance between the forces of nature is what makes this place serene," he explained.
Asha Dangol highlighted the colour green in her painting. "The lush green landscape of Dhulikhel is what captivates me most," she said. Confiding that she derived all her energy as a painter from nature she also added, "Nature is the best teacher of all." After the actual painting was over and all the painters convened at the Dhulikhel Municipality Office, a small interaction programme between the artists and the local representatives was also held.
"Field events as such, that involve a lot of people should help our failing tourism industry," said Krishna Ojha of the organising committee during the occasion.
Organised by the central art division of the Nepal Commercial Artists Association, the workshop produced as many as 150 paintings, all of which will be displayed at an exhibition sometime later in the capital. With the money raised from the exhibition of these artworks, the organisers intend to establish a fund for their planned Arniko talent award.Posted on: 2004-01-13 03:46

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