Himalayan hues

Mountains and rivers have always been synonymous with living in Dehradun, feels Shabnam Anand Singh. She has spent her childhood looking at the familiar Himalayan ranges, and picnicking by the rivers in the sal forests.

Just a short hike up the hills, she says, would transport her into the mist and the cool mountain air. “As we walked, I always stopped to investigate the flowers and the tiny plants clinging to the rocks. It was a joy to see that splash of vibrant colour hidden among the tiny leaves,” shares the artist. The deep- blue sky above and the autumn sun spreading its glow on the forested mountainside, with glistening petals and leaves was like one big spiritual charge that would see her through until the next walk up the mountainside. The mesmerising Doon memories were the inspiration for Shabnam’s work.

This fascination with natural beauty that surrounded the nature-lover throughout her childhood has stayed with her even into her adulthood. She loves the pure clean colours in the flowers and the endless shades of whites that they can have. Each of the paintings has its own essesnce while complementing each other.

(The artist will be exhibiting her artwork at Visual Art Gallery, Lodhi Road, between July 6 and July 11. Timings: 11am to 7.30pm.)