Expat Indian artist in Oman believes that anyone can draw

Muscat: An expatriate Indian artist who lives in Oman has said that anyone can draw well, provided they have the willingness and the interest to learn.
Sailaja Mondrety, an Indian who has been living with her husband in Oman for the last 24 years, is currently holding her first solo exhibition at the City Seasons Hotel in Muscat. Her works feature the Tanjore style of painting, which she learned in India.
“People have to learn technical skills and points and from some teachers,” she said, speaking to Times of Oman. “I think anyone can learn how to draw well, but what they learn will be added to their own interest and skills. Many people are now showing an interest in art. I’ve seen people who want to come with to learn and others want to work in group exhibitions.
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“I hope that people get inspired by my work,” added Sailaja. “Art lovers tend to come to these exhibitions to improve their work and I’ve been approached by some who want to learn from me. It shows their interest. I have lived for 24 years in Oman, and I have been drawing consistently throughout this time. I’ve never stopped ever since I started my artwork.”
Sailaja developed an interest in art when she was a little girl, and was inspired to take up art as a passion by her mother. She now dedicates about three hours of her day to her artwork.
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“I always explore with other mediums,” she said. “I learned the Tanjore painting style which is very popular in south India. After that, I started experimenting with that medium, where we use pure gold foil. This gold foil is available only in Chennai. I did the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in that style. Then, I moved to nib painting, another specialty of mine. Nibs are what we use in calligraphy, and I worked with that using oil paint as a medium, after which I did watercolours.”
“Art is my life, I like it very much, I love it. I draw for at least three hours every day,” she explained. “I was a self-taught artist originally but then I learned from teachers. I used to love doing landscapes, it was the only thing that I did, but then I moved on to other styles and now I do portraits as well. Art is like any other field, people go in their own way and people need to learn on their own and find their own path.”