Date:08/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/08/stories/2008090850870200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Social issues come alive on canvas

Staff Reporter

Children engrossed in painting in Vijayawada on Sunday.

VIJAYAWADA: “I like pink, it is Barbie’s colour,” said seven-year-old Pujitha, giving finishing touches to the buffoon’s character in her painting titled ‘Circus’ at Spoorthi Creative Art School on Sunday.

“I haven’t seen circus anywhere, but watched shows on circus on television many a time. Since I liked buffoon a lot, I’m painting him here,” said the Class III student of V.P. Siddhatha Public School.

Pujitha was one of the 400 children who painted on different themes at the competition conducted by the school to mark the inception of Spoorthi Old Students Organisation (SOSO).

“There is a carpentry workshop next to our school. Everyday, I observe the work of carpenters and developed interest in wood carvings,” said D. Manaswini, drawing a picture on the theme ‘Carpenter at work.’ This Class VI student of Nalanda Public School wanted to become an artist in the future.

K. Basant Arun, a Class IV student of NSM Public School, who drew a sketch on the theme ‘Help the handicapped’, attributed all the credit to his mother. “I have been practising this for the last one week,” he said. “We must help the disabled, as they can’t do any work on their own,” he said.

His painting showed a boy taking a visually challenged person to a park and explaining to him the beauty of nature.

“I like football and blue and white are my favourite colours,” said S. Dodik, a Class VI student of VPS Public School, who worked on the theme ‘My favourite sport.’ One could clearly see advertisement hoardings near the gallery of the playground in his painting. “Advertisement hoardings are a common feature in all stadiums. I observed it while watching cricket matches on television,” said Dodik.

“We gave different themes to children based on their age. The results will be announced on September 15, when we plan to celebrate the inception of the SOSO,” said G. Srinivas, director of the school. He said the objective of the SOSO was to help the poor and the needy, besides encouraging interested students to learn painting.