With tools like sketch book and painting kit in his backpack, versatile artist Sandesh Gaundalkar travels to places, to capture the beauty around and express it through his paintings
BHARATI PAWASKAR
He is a traveller. Pen, pencil, paint, paper and brush are not his tools but his companions on travels. Whenever something interesting catches his eye, he takes a pause, and sits down to draw. He has chalked out his plans and sketched definite goals - backpacking his dreams he wishes to travel more and more. “I am in love with plain-air painting and it naturally fits with my outdoorsy lifestyle; I love to travel and explore different places, so want to take my sketch book and painting kit with me and capture the beauty of the places wherever I travel,” states Sandesh Gaundalkar, this year’s State Art Awardee.
Every day is a new day for this communication designer who is specialised in graphics and illustrations. As he rightly expresses, “In water colour or mix media painting there are endless possibility. It is hard to find your own style or favourite techniques. So I keep experimenting at my own pace. Experimenting means trial and error! Working in layers with different materials means that sometimes they will react in unexpected ways.”
There are challenges on every step. Citing an example he explains, “At times, these inks could be pretty tricky! Some inks will keep coming back no matter how much paint you apply on top of it. Brown ink will leave pink spots! When used on canvas, on non-porous surface some inks will mark slightest brushstroke, no matter how dry you think they are, so you need to find out different possibility. Same goes with water colours and many others mediums. All these discoveries can be frustrating, but the real challenge is - one needs to master these processes and start using them to own advantage.”
Having completed his BFA in Applied Art from the Goa College of Art, Sandesh’s core strength lies in visualisation and illustration. He had undertaken training in animation and post-production from WKS (Mumbai) and also did photography course at ‘Times Journal of Photography’ from Times of India, also from Mumbai.
“I was also connected with education institutes like: National Institute of Design - Vijayawada, Rachana Sansad College of Applied Art and Craft - Mumbai and MIT Institute of Design,” he shares with pride. At present he works as independent illustrator and graphic designer and is also associated as visiting faculty with FTII: Film and television institute of India - Pune.
It was in June 1999 that Sandesh kick-started his professional career in Mumbai as a graphic designer. In a short span of time his career scaled new heights when he joined Tata Interactive Systems as a visualiser. Later he joined Pinstorm Technology Pvt Ltd as manager - communication design. He had the backing of his vast experience in graphic design, visualisation / concept development, branding, digital illustrations and animation.
Sandesh worked on some of prestigious national and international client like DHL - Singapore, Canon Digital Camera – Singapore, Panasonic – Singapore, Standard Charted Bank – Singapore, Nanyang University – Singapore, Queensland Tourism - Australia, Sony – Digital Camera and Idea Cellular Phone, to name a few. “I had also worked as an independent illustrator and storyboard artist for various television commercials and films. Some of these were Golden Ticket Films Pvt Ltd., Sangeeth Sivan Production and Red Chills Production Pvt Ltd for the film ‘Om Shanti Om’ where I painted old hand painted Bollywood posters in digital format which one can see in this movie.”
Then one fine day, he decided to call it a day. “In 2009 I was working with one of the reputed new media advertising agency on managerial post where I got pink slip because of recession which had forced me to take professional break. During this time I decided not to work with corporate industry anymore, where day and night one has to deal with deadlines which also take a toll on one’s personal life. During this break I decided to concentrate on my skills and shifted back to drawing. Life took a U turn and I kick-started my career in academics so that I could have more time to myself for practicing drawing.” And today he is happy for the right decision taken at the right time, before it was too late.
Sandesh has a word of advice for today’s youth who wish to opt for fine arts. “When you put your whole heart into your work, rejection will hurt you. The best thing to do these times is to have a strong, supportive community that understands what you’re trying to do and that you can rely on for a bit of cheerleading. Follow your passion, keep yourself motivated.”
For being one of the chosen few, to have received the State Art Award this year, a smiling Sandesh quips, “I’m lucky!”
