Saraswathi Rockwood:

The stamp of simplicity

It was close to noon. The sun had kindled the world. the air was heavy, drowsy still. I set off on my visit down Buller's Lane. After reaching the house I rang the bell. A dark tanned girl in her twenties peeped through a window. I told her my appointment with the grand old lady. She opened a litch gate and I was in.

Entering this huge mansion I observed that it was fine in spaciousness, but the furniture was uninteresting, English stuff of the kind one finds in a England hotel, instead of the rich Oriental things they might have so easily if they would. The house now dilapidated whose structure half covered with cob-webs grins with cracks, looked gloomy. It reminded me of the grand days when hospitality was offered to the top brass in the Army and the affluent rich dined and wined with their spouses till late at night. After some time the grand old lady came out and greeted me. She was none other than Saraswathie Rockwood.

Coming from an affluent family background a small made figure with long fringe of dark hair hanging low over a face of extraordinary earnestness and animation. An artist, sculpture and a violinist all rolled into one. She was born on September 18, 1925 and started schooling at St. Bridget's Convent and passed the London Matriculation Examination in the 1st Division. As a child she started drawing sketches of animals, birds, and flowers with colour pencils. While in school she developed an interest in painting and with its engaging blend of simplicity and skill won a high place among the children of her generation. Her father was Somadeva Casinathan known as (Simon) from Puttalam. He was once the Rubber commissioner in the 1940s and her mother Sellatchi Ratnasingham was from Manipaiy, Jaffna.

At the age of 12, she studied Carnatic Music and leant to play the violin under Pandit S. Ratnaswami Aiyar who gave her the name Saraswathi. She got married to Colonel David Narasyah Rockwood in 1943.

A charcoal sketch done by Saraswathi Rockwood of artist Tissa Hewavitarane.

Saraswathi's fingers are fashioned by God for creation of beauty. Apart from painting she has turned out many sculptures in her garden. There was a statue of Mahathma Gandhi, Vishnu, and a beautiful figure of a woman. Talking to her I observed a few more mini sculptures done of the Buddha, a bust of her husband wearing the army cap, breakers done on cement a figure of Siva and Parwathi and an oil painting dawn the walls of her children and a servant named 'Unity'. As a child she studied art under Mudliyar A.C.G.S. Amarasekera. Later she joined Heywood School of Art where she leant sculpting and pastel drawing. Her first drawing in pastel of Jean Pinto former (Observer editorial staff) later became known Jean Ratnaweera after marrying Saradha Ratnaweera, the jeweller, won the first prize at an exhibition organised by the National Gallery. Her pastel work includes Brigadier Russel Heyn and a black and white charcoal drawing of Mudliyar A.C.G.S. Amarasekera which was hung in the National Art Gallery as a permanent collection.

She concentrates on oil and water colour painting but fully explores related media pencils, Indian ink, chalks and pastel on their own and in combination with each other. Speaking about pastels are a vastly underrated medium, and she said,' I wish they were a credit".

"They have a lot to offer in terms of freshness of colour and immediacy, and work well with other media". Pastel can be messy, but this doesn't make them any less exciting to work with. Pastel can be applied to a variety of papers, including cardboard, very fine textured sand paper, and toned papers which can glow through and enhance the pastel colours.

In 1967 she formed a group of artists including Thilake Abeysinghe, Donald Ramanayake and Visvalingam a sculptor and held the 1st art exhibition at the Lionel Wendt opened by the then British High Commissioner, Sir Stanley Tomlinson. She was blessed with four children three boys and one girl and today only three are left. In 1959 one of the leading Russian Magazines published a self-portrait done in oil by her. Asked to give one of her pastel work to be published along with this article she said, "No I don't have any. some are sold, some taken by my friends but she said, "I will be grateful to you if you do a sitting so that I could do a charcoal sketch of you".

I was thrilled. She called her granddaughter Shanaz the girl who opened the door for me and asked her to bring her charcoal pencils. It did not take much time in few minutes she turned a black and white charcoal drawing of myself and asked me to use it with this article. She further thanked me for giving her the opportunity and inspiration to do a drawing after one year. She said she has not touched her paint brushes, and tools for nearly a year. She is very fond of nature and forest environment. She has produced a calender for 2011 named "Trees" black and white charcoal sketches of various trees in Sri Lanka, and a beautiful poem printed on the front cover of the calendar which she asked me to put in print. the poem titled 'Trees': I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree, A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed, Against the earth's sweet flowering breasts, A tree that looks at God all day, And lift her leafy arms to pray.

Saraswathi Rockwood has turned 87 years. Despite steadily declining health, she is an artist of rare versatility and technical accomplishment.