GROWING UP WITH THE MASTERS

Legend 

My father who was a avid reader, had a reading room filled with books. Most of my childhood as I can remember, used to be spent trying to climb the book shelves. What interested me most were the covers, I used to love those hardbound covers, colorful and full of such beautiful pictures. As years went by my discussions with my father grew more intestate  we spoke about history, people and events. Occasionally when time permitted he took me to the museum  which I loved, libraries where he spent his time and so did I. He had or still has the most amazing collection of Biographies a person can read in his entire life span. 

Words make it happen

By the time I was in the 8th grade it almost felt like I knew  Hemingway and Elliot , poetry did fascinate me a lot. But what excited me the most were artists and how fascinating they lives were. Van Gough, Picasso, Rembrandt lived such exciting lives. Story of struggle  passion, self exploration I could just go on and on all day about this. 

Inspiration

Throughout my childhood I felt like an artist, I painted almost everyday since I can remember, even if it just meant scribbling in my sketchbook. Fortunately my father has preserved more than 150 sketch books, that I drew in. Today I use these books to show my students how to self explore, and just express yourself by painting what you feel. However this wasn't the same feeling I had when I went to art school what had until then been a spontaneous, creative and hopeful activity in which I could lose myself for hours now took place in an environment filled with anxiety, insecurity and competitiveness. All that I had read in my fathers library, about Picasso and other geniuses creating and inventing something new, which had inspired me to take up art as a profession was being challenged. I thought to myself even Picasso left the Madrid academy because he was not satisfied with the training. However I completed my Diploma as my father was financing my education, and realize now that it was the right thing to do. 

Once upon a time (student life)

Group Discussion in the classroom

I have always idolized Pablo Ruiz , known as Pablo Picasso which was his mothers maiden name and wanted to be like him, I mean his contributing to the history of art  like pioneering the       art movement called Cubism, inventing collage as an artistic technique  and developing assemblage (construction of various materials) in sculpture which even I do till date. Even when I meet fellow artists today, I rather learn from their experiences rather than compete to be famous. Art is very individual , what works for me might not be right for you, best bet is to be yourself.


-Rouble Nagi