From paintings and puzzles to nature journaling, Bengaluru artists are finding different ways to express their love for the local trees.
Nirupa Rao
Nirupa Rao, Botanical painter
Ever since Rao began sketching trees, the motivation behind his work has been to introduce people to India’s native species and bring trees into mainstream culture by making them the focus of games, puzzles, books, and movies. “For people to save trees, they first have to feel an emotional connection to them. So I focus on making them culturally relevant.” Rao remembers how, when she was printing pillar of life, a book on the trees of the Western Ghats which he illustrated, the printer’s staff became animated as each print came out. “With each new tree, they would gather around the table to discuss whether they had seen it in their villages, which animals frequented it, and so on.”
Rao has also helped in extracting hidden kingdomA book on imaginary plants found in the Ghats (carnivorous sundews and the neelakurunji which blooms once every 12 years), and spirit of the forest, an animated short about a little girl from South India who stumbles upon a sacred grove. “The hand-drawn flora and fauna are accurate to the habitat,” she says.
Stranger Fig
Recent Projects: He has developed a 500-piece puzzle in a banyan tree. “The narrative during the lockdown was that the world had come to a standstill. But this is a very human-centred notion. So many other lives were flourishing,” says Rao, who spent time watching the mango tree and its visitors from her balcony. “We started birdwatching [with an app by Cornell Ornithology Lab that helps one identify birds by inputting different characteristics], and because the branches were at eye level, it felt like we were living in a tree. Seeing the different birds, squirrels and insects was like putting together a puzzle.” He chose the majestic banyan for his puzzle, however, because they are an important species (at a time when other food resources are in short supply).
Plans for 2023: “I’m considering a new book on trees, but it’s too early to talk about it. What I’m most excited about at the moment is an interactive website [to be launched in the next few months] whom i am making as a partner spirit of the forest, There’s a lot of research in each of my projects, so I thought I’d make an online exhibition with sketches, research notes. I recreated the swamp with all the animals and plants from the movie.”
Description: @niruparao, nirupa rao dot com
Sangeeta Kadur
Sangeeta Kadur, Nature Artist
Kadoor is spending the first few days of the new year painting tree boards at Deva Dhare, a resort in Sakleshpur. “No trees were cut down [10 acre] The property and the owners are now naming rooms after him,” she explains.
Using local Kannada names – such as bhilwara (Ceylon rosewood) and surgi (tropical apricot) – each board will have pictures of the trees, and information that can help guests identify them, such as what the flowers and fruits look like , period with visual aid.
Trees, Wildlife and Some Nature Journaling
The artist’s love for trees began with bird watching. To identify the trees on which the birds landed or perched, or to identify the fruits or flowers that attracted them. “Initially, I could identify them only by their flowers. But then I started observing the bark, the leaves,” says Kadoor, who has illustrated several books, including a counting book for Pratham. every tree countsWhich introduced the children to numbers and local trees.
Recent Projects: Kadur found that trees were the best ‘models’ for her nature journaling workshop, Green Scraps. “The best introduction is through the tree—its leaves, flowers, and seed pods are so unique. And the great part: They’re unlike you a bird, mammal, or butterfly that never stands still.
Plans for 2023: “The year is already exciting. I have connected with organizations and a few individuals to help create visual descriptions and information panels about nature.
Description: @sangeethakadur, Sangeetakadur.com
Shilpa Shree
Shilpa Shree, Nature painter
An African tulip recently caught the attention of Mr. He feels that his quick watercolor does not do justice to it. “Is it possible to reach the heart of a tree,” she ponders on Instagram. “they [trees] confuse me; Getting them right is a challenge. But they also fascinate him. Like Kadur, he became interested in trees through bird watching. “I understood how everything in nature is so tightly connected. I had to learn about trees in order to understand birds and their behavior. For example, a silk cotton tree attracts many birds during its flowering season. Which in turn helps with pollination. Facts like these opened my eyes to the world of these silent giants.
daubanga seeds
Recent Projects: His love for trees soon extended to the variety and forms of their seeds and seed pods. “I took up the challenge of painting 100 seeds in 100 days and posting them on social media [the Champaka and Daubanga are stunning]” she says. She has since turned her illustrations into a calendar and postcards because “I want it to reach as many people as possible.”
Plans for 2023: “I’m making an illustrated book of the trees around me. I hope to publish it this year.”
Description: ,shilpashree