A full imperial original watercolour paintings went on display. Prints on sale at the day-long watercolour exhibition followed a three-day workshop where nine international artists interacted with over 50 participants to create watercolours that will be sold. Proceeds will go to the Ashok Kumar Foundation set up by his daughter Bharati Jaffery. While most recognise late actor Ashok Kumar or Dadamuni as an actor par excellence and a connoisseur of the arts, very few know that he was also a homeopath and a flourishing watercolourist. At the homes of his immediate family, the walls bear testimony to this guarded secret of the late actor. And now coming out of the shadows of these confined walls, the artworks were on display at Rang Vista, an international watercolour exhibition organised by Jumbish Creations in association with InWaterColor. “Dadamuni used to spend three-four hours every day in the bathroom and that’s where he used to paint. He was open to learning techniques from various masters and then he added his own touch on his paintings. Horses, nudes and landscapes were his favourites,” says Shankar Mridha, founder and “chief believer” of Jumbish Creations, an art sales and promotion company. The participating master artists included Roberto Zangarelli from Italy, Fauzia Shabnam from Bangladesh and Vasudeo Kamath, Milind Mulick and Bijay Biswaal from India among others The painting display by Kumar was only an added feature at the workshop whose main theme is to bring watercolourist from across the world on a common platform. Ask Mridha how this workshop differs from ones we see regularly and his first response is that the “setting” of the event is unique. Arguing how an artist often responds to his surrounding, Mridha points out that the theme of the workshop is watercolours and specifically landscapes, so the venue is a nature resort in the background of a serene lake where artists will get to express their creativity, in a carefree surrounding. “Most workshops happen in hotels or confined spaces. Also meeting one or two master artist in a workshop is a general trend. In this workshop, there are nine international masters are coming together and the workshop is happening in the middle of nature,” he says. The participating master artists included Roberto Zangarelli from Italy, known for his radiant and bright hues, Fauzia Shabnam from Bangladesh described as a modern-day painter with a vision to change the world, Vasudeo Kamath, president of the Bombay Art Society known for his mastery with watercolours and author of books like, Sketching & Drawing and Portraits for the Aspiring Artists, Milind Mulick, an artist of two decades who can wield not only a brush but also a guitar with equal finesse and artist Bijay Biswaal, who earned the distinction of Karma Yogi by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi amongst others. Besides the watercolours, to keep the spirits of participants high, an art jam session by master artist Milind Mulick and his community band, The Band Wanderlust was organised. Published in Daily Times, February 12th 2019.