Rusi Rutnagar, finds artistic expression on glass
Rusi Rutnagar, 62, put up his 17th exhibition of glass paintings called ‘Reality in Reverse’ at the O Hotel, Koregaon Park.
About painting on glass, Rutnagar said “I have an inexplicable urge to paint on glass. It is not like sketching and painting on canvas. It needs intense attention and concentration. The different strokes can be applied only one at a time.”
He has to paint in reverse order. Numbers and alphabets also have to be worked on in reverse order. He has painted abstracts, figures, objects, seascapes, landscapes, graphics and animals. He has also painted portraits of Rajiv Gandhi, his Highness Aga Khan, M S Oberoi and movie stars.
Rutnagar came to Pune ten years ago. He started painting on glass in Mumbai decades ago while working as an interior designer. He started painting on mirrors but painting on the right side didn’t hold any challenges. Working on the reverse side was more challenging. He eventually mastered the technique. Painting on the reverse side is tricky. Rutnagar needs to visualise in the beginning what it will look like.
Rutnagar paints the highlights first on the reverse side of glass, and then the detailing follows. Only when the first coat of paint is dry, can the second be applied. He uses oil and a special component to paint. “The entire process gets reversed when painting on glass and one cannot rely on the next coat of paint to even things out, or correct an error. What I will apply next will be covered by the first. The wash is applied at the end which makes the picture,” he says.
“Painting for me is like prayer. It is like meditation. I express my inner feelings, thoughts and emotions. Working on a particular piece is like playing chess for me and I get a kick out of it,” Rutnagar says.
He spends 17 to 18 hours a day in his studio.
“The first stroke of the brush is like the first word spoken, making a lasting impression that cannot be taken back. Each coat thereafter is systematically applied and patience and concentration are required to complete each piece of work,” he says.
“I have trained my mind to be in solitude. I like to spend time with myself. Life has a purpose. These paintings are an expression of how I feel,” says Rutnagar.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Art on glass
Rusi Rutnagar, finds artistic expression on glass
Rusi Rutnagar, 62, put up his 17th exhibition of glass paintings called ‘Reality in Reverse’ at the O Hotel, Koregaon Park.
About painting on glass, Rutnagar said “I have an inexplicable urge to paint on glass. It is not like sketching and painting on canvas. It needs intense attention and concentration. The different strokes can be applied only one at a time.”
He has to paint in reverse order. Numbers and alphabets also have to be worked on in reverse order. He has painted abstracts, figures, objects, seascapes, landscapes, graphics and animals. He has also painted portraits of Rajiv Gandhi, his Highness Aga Khan, M S Oberoi and movie stars.
Rutnagar came to Pune ten years ago. He started painting on glass in Mumbai decades ago while working as an interior designer. He started painting on mirrors but painting on the right side didn’t hold any challenges. Working on the reverse side was more challenging. He eventually mastered the technique. Painting on the reverse side is tricky. Rutnagar needs to visualise in the beginning what it will look like.
Rutnagar paints the highlights first on the reverse side of glass, and then the detailing follows. Only when the first coat of paint is dry, can the second be applied. He uses oil and a special component to paint. “The entire process gets reversed when painting on glass and one cannot rely on the next coat of paint to even things out, or correct an error. What I will apply next will be covered by the first. The wash is applied at the end which makes the picture,” he says.
“Painting for me is like prayer. It is like meditation. I express my inner feelings, thoughts and emotions. Working on a particular piece is like playing chess for me and I get a kick out of it,” Rutnagar says.
He spends 17 to 18 hours a day in his studio.
“The first stroke of the brush is like the first word spoken, making a lasting impression that cannot be taken back. Each coat thereafter is systematically applied and patience and concentration are required to complete each piece of work,” he says.
“I have trained my mind to be in solitude. I like to spend time with myself. Life has a purpose. These paintings are an expression of how I feel,” says Rutnagar.
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