Art enthusiasts on sketching trip to Odisha's tribal hinterland

November 22, 2017

Sweta Mishra

Bhubaneswar: The love of nature, wildlife and outdoors has prompted six painting enthusiasts from the Odisha capital to go on a sketching spree! The recent three-day trip to Baripada and adjoining areas saw them pour the different hues of life and the pristine beauty of the tribal-dominated district on canvas.

Day 1 of the extensive sketching trip began with the festive energy of Karthik Purnima crowd early in the morning, followed by MPC Junior College, which was once a palace and collector's office, an old British-era building. They spent the afternoon painting the MKC High school. This team from Bhubaneswar Sketching Club was led by Prabal Mallik.

The next day was solely dedicated to the gushing water and the overflowing reservoir of Baldiha dam surrounded by serene paddy fields. The day ended with sketching of the village scene at Baldiha village, where a few local art enthusiasts also joined them.

On the last day of the trip, they captured the beauty of Similipal, covering Joranda, Uski fall and the villages around. The Similipal outing was also an activity of Artists for Wildlife and Nature, an artists' group with a purpose of conserving the natural heritage and wildlife through art. Prabal and a few other members of the club are part of this group.

Experience insights of this trip with this video:

Also read: Tracing the city architect with pencil and colours

"I was a member of a sketching club in Bengaluru. On returning to Bhubaneswar in 2014, I was disappointed to find no such initiatives here. So, I decided to start one on my own," said Prabal.

He started going alone sketching on Sundays and soon created a FB page, inviting people on such outings. "Five to six of us are regular on Bhubaneswar streets every Sunday. We also plan trips. Such outings helps an artist to grow and connect people to art directly. Though a small initiative, it's a good start to spread a healthy culture of outdoor sketching and art awareness," he added.