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Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sketching Sundays: Pencil Jam turns Bengaluru into a canvas
Bengaluru: More than 100 people spent Sunday morning sketching at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), turning observation into a meditative two-hour activity. From window panes to fronds and tiles, everyday details became subjects on paper. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The weather was an add-on," said Richa Gupta, 30, who, along with her friend from Patna, Ayushi Rastogi, 31, sketched a tree beside the NGMA cafe. "Coming here week on week is a way to start our Sunday slow. We build on what we learn from other artists who come for the workshops. We may be able to use some of the designs in our project ahead," said Richa, who plans to start a fashion brand with Ayushi. The weekly meet is part of Pencil Jam, a free community sketching initiative by Nabachika, a citizen art initiative that has been running for 16 years. "We've seen kids come in more than a decade ago who are now full-time artists. For most, it is about reconnecting with sketching they left behind in school. It's the process of slowing down in a fast-paced world," Nabachika co-founder Smitha Shivaswamy said. Her colleague George Supreeth pointed to research at Drexel University, Philadelphia, US: "Drawing for 40 minutes lowers cortisol levels. Ironically, schools have relegated art to a lesson, not a vocabulary to build — one that can aid problem-solving. These workshops help bring it back." For children like Dhwani Vivekananda, the sessions are an explosion of colour. "I love pink. Today I drew jellyfish, pufferfish, octopus, and seahorse from an aquarium I saw in Singapore," she said. Participants spanned generations — from 80-year-old Srinivasan Prakash, rediscovering sketching, to IT employee Amey Balwally, 50, who finds it "a way to express myself better, sans the boxed mandate of work." Each week, the group meets at different city spaces, turning Bengaluru itself into a canvas.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Bengaluru's 16 year old community pencil jam to get people to slow down
BENGALURU: Sunday morning for more than 100 locals was a way to slow down before another busy week started. They sat and observed their surroundings — intricate art on a window pane, the shades and lines on a frond, jagged tiles. They put pencil to paper to sketch in a seemingly simple, almost meditative activity lasting two hours at the National Gallery of Modern Art. The weather was an add-on, said Richa Gupta, 30, who, with her friend from Patna, Ayushi Rastogi, 31, displayed their sketches of the popular tree beside the NGMA cafe. 'Coming here week on week is a way to start our Sunday slow. We build on what we learn from other artists who come for the workshops, adapting styles such as oil and water painting. We may be able to use some of the designs in our project ahead,' said Gupta, who, with Rastogi, is looking to start their own fashion brand. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru Artwork here does not happen in isolation, said Smitha Shivaswamy, the co-founder of Nabachika, a citizen art initiative that has conducted Pencil Jam, a free-for-all community sketching weekly activity of 16 years in Bengaluru. 'We have seen kids come in more than a decade ago, who have turned adults and are full-time artists. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo But for most people, it is a reconnection to sketching, which they liked and took up in school, and let go of as adults. It's the process of slowing down in a fast-paced world,' she adds. Concurring, co-founder George Supreeth chimed in about research at the University of Drexel, 'Drawing for 40 minutes lowers cortisol levels. But ironically, schools have relegated art to a lesson rather than a vocabulary to build — one that can also be used for problem-solving. Pathbreaking research has taken place because people visualised, and small steps such as sketching, and these workshops thereby bring back that vocabulary,' he said. For children, such as Dhwani Vivekananda, who are yet to label objects around them, giving them a lot more nuanced art form than adults — these group activities are a way to explode colours on the page. 'I love the colour pink. I have today drawn jellyfish, pufferfish, octopus, and seahorse, that I saw in an aquarium that I saw in Singapore last November,' she said. Her parents draw alongside her. Similarly, Srinivasan Prakash, 80, and scientist Uma, walked down from their house as Prakash wanted to explore drawing again. 'I realised I do not know much about sketching — the dimension and proportions could be a bit off, but hey, Picasso is appreciated!' IT employee Amey Balwally, 50, who came in with his son, finds this activity a way to 'express myself better, sans the boxed mandate given in a work format.' The group meets up every week in different locations, giving participants a journey into the city's public spaces too. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
