More sheen to interiors

CHARCOAL DRAWING and creating metal reliefs are Padmaa's forte. She is commissioned by hotels and banks to provide that aesthetic touch to their interiors with her creations.

Though she is rank-holder in Sociology, her passion since childhood has been art. Some years ago, she and her friend Geetha decided to pursue their interest seriously and began making reliefs using aluminium sheets.

"It appealed to me as it was a different medium, and because the results had a glossy finish," says Padmaa, who has made this form

of art her profession since 1995. She has gained recognition among architects, who recommend her work to their corporate clients.

Though entirely self-taught, Padmaa has acquired skill and confidence over the years in metal embossing and charcoal and pen and ink drawings. Her favourite themes are Nature and the feminine form. Her panel comprising nine squares with symbolic representations of the elements of Nature has been greatly appreciated.

After embossing the metal with special tools, the lacquer coating she gives heightens the depth and adds sheen to the raised surface.

Another subject that she works on and which enjoys popularity is `Ganesha.' She has crafted 400 different forms of the deity

for the ICICI bank on the occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi, last year. She has established a firm called Metalarts and Crafts and every piece is crafted with her own hands.

Padmaa has done stylised pen and ink sketches of scenes from everyday life. The feminine form quite often features in these sketches.

Besides this, she has done sketches of historical monuments such as the Brhadeeswara temple in Thanjavur and the Konarak temple in Orissa.

She is now busy with metal work and drawings that will enhance hotel interiors in Vellore, Kanchipuram and also a cottage in Kodaikanal.

She has tried her hand at terracotta sculpture too, and more recently, has ventured into oil painting.

LAKSHMI VENKATRAMAN

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