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Colourful in-house innovations

Photo: G. Moorthy

Different strokes Meena Chidambaram with her art works

Exquisite designs on attires are always an added attraction. And if they are customised with exotic colour spread, then the beauty of the work gets even more enhanced.

More than the fashion part of it, the passion to create something new drives people like Meena Chidambaram to come out with some brilliant patterns on the fabric. Her products sizzle with vibrant blues and dazzling greens to soft mauves, effecting classic finish to the fabric ranging from silk to crepes.

“Fabric painting is not as easy as it looks. It requires tremendous concentration, dedicated and sustained effort to get a successful finished product. The learning process is expensive. You should be prepared to waste at least three to four saris before you gain sufficient knowledge,” she explains.

What started as a hobby at the tender age of eight has turned into a profession for Ms. Meena who has now developed expertise in not only fabric painting but also embroidery, wall hangings and art and craft .

“The credit goes to my mother, Parvathy Achi, who encouraged me to develop these hobbies and nurtured my extra curricular interests. As a young child, I used to gatecrash at the nearby fancy store whenever the shop owner brought any new designs. I learnt it all by myself with the help of the model given to me and in due course, started developing my own designs,” she reminisces.

From coffee powder to vegetable juice, she is a continuous innovator experimenting with new ideas. “Just to give a different twist to the colour palate, I tried coffee powder on my painting and the effect is here for everyone to see. Moreover, colours made of vegetable juice used in fabric painting do not fade away with time and is a non-allergic natural ingredient,” she shares enthusiastically.

She keeps herself updated with the help of her friend Komal, who resides in Mumbai. “She is an art and craft teacher there and supports me by sending information about new arrivals and feeds me with latest techniques used in the profession. I modify them further giving my own touches,” avers, Ms. Meena, also an expert in tatting and knitting.

Seeing her work ethics and profile it is hard to believe that she is able to balance her household duties and still pursue her interests. She hates to idle. “It is inborn. The way I was brought up and the freedom I enjoy after my marriage have been the driving force behind my success,” she asserts. She liberally borrows techniques and never hesitates to bring experts to her place to learn innovations in the field. “Initially, my fabric painting lacked finesse. But once I learnt the art of shading through one of my family friends, Ilavarasi Chokkar, I perfected it.” Ms. Meena also shares her knowledge with friends in neighbourhood, Shanthi, Josephine and Tulasi. “We have formed a good team here willing to exchange ideas and it reflects in our works. I also get them here to enlighten my students who come to learn the art from me,” she says.

Is basic knowledge of drawing a must for any new comer? She does not think so. “Attitude is more important than aptitude. Once you are interested in this art, you can learn quickly. Initially though, we ask freshers to trace the pictures on the fabric and then paint. At times, we experts also do the same thing,” she admits.

Her drawing room is adorned with beautiful wall hangings, which includes handcrafted wood burning decor. “This particular product is considered to be Chinese Vaasthu element. The design is carved out of the wood and the corners are burnt to provide a trendy look. It is liked by everyone and I get good enquiries for this piece of work,” she beams. She also has many three-dimensional craft works in her kitty. “They look beautiful but take a lot of time. I take photocopies of the picture and paint them with glue and glass liquid to give a gloss effect. The pictures are arranged one on one and pasted on a mirror with two centimetres gap in between. These products qualify better as gift articles.”

She attributes her success to her friend Sumathi Rajagopal. “She was the one who projected my profile to the outside world and helped me networking with people.”

Ms.Meena takes classes at her house between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and also visits colleges and schools as resource person for art and craft sessions. For more information dial 9442883973 0452-2692331 for Meena Chidambaram.

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