Painter inspired by nature

When the question of how to organise my material arose I decided that artists should be introduced strictly in the order of their appearance in the world. To insist upon an artist's identity with a group is to compromise his individuality. Groups have a way of dissolving under scrutiny, of proving to be more fortuitous in their composition and more ephemeral than they at first appeared.

Unlike the individuals who compose them, they have no hard core. Earlier,less disintegrated periods, there was some meaning in the classification of artists according to the tradition to which they belonged but at the present time the general enfeeblement and even collapse of tradition has made the classification of original artists almost impossible. They exist by virtue of their individual selves alone.

I have tried to evoke a degree of recognition of value of their art and interest in their lives and personalities.

Those artists who are included in this series of 'Contemporary artists' for the first time were added because they seemed to me that they are not given their due place and recognition. I have in fact paid a tribute to a number of other senior artists in a series under 'Old masters'.

Palitha Gunasinghe

The volume of talent in Sri Lanka in the present century has been inspiring. Such an artists is an exponent of the water colour medium. The multi-talented artist is Palitha Gunasinghe who hails from Kalutara. Palitha was born in a village called Meegahathanna in the Kalutara district.

He grew up in a picturesque site where lush green paddy fields nestle in the valley, rows of huge rubber trees and coconut palms of fat shady growth that spreads from shoulder to shoulder.

To the north the view is so lovely against which the surf dashed and formy jets ran high up against the rocky shore, a long, curved sandy beach bordered with thatched or cadjan huts, and the sky above them is dappled with fast moving clouds.

The surroundings, and the villagers with their simple life-style enriched Palitha's artistic creativity.

He had his primary education at Ratmale village school and completed his secondary education at Meegahathanna Maha Vidyalaya and Ovitigala Maha Vidyalaya in Mathugama.

From the age of three years he had selected a few charcoal pieces and drew animals, human figures and birds on the walls and the floor in the meda midula (court yard) of his native home. His father soon realised that Palitha would be no scholar so he encouraged him to do more drawings.

He sent some of his son's work to a children's newspaper Mihira which was quick to publish them. Even in school his artistic and literary skills were recognised and had won many awards at school exhibitions. He came under the influence of reputed art teachers who taught him the rudiments of traditional art and other indigenous art forms. Very soon he had won the admiration of his parents and villagers for his excellent drawings.

The temple at Degaldoruwa

A bullock cart passing a cottage

Soon after he completed his education he joined the Sarvodaya Movement and created a stamp for their 25th anniversary. This won him a scholarship to be trained in graphic art and designing in the Nertherlands. The trip also paved the way for Palitha much needed exposure to the international art world where he had the opportunity to visit art galleries museums and studying the work of old masters.

Palitha Gunasinghe represented the life of mankind. The scope of his genius included landscape paintings, mythological scenes, realistic stories, symbolical representations, tragedy, comedy, satire, men, gods and devils. The most evocative of all were the fishermen and women at the nets, the boat men returning home and some mending their nets. His paintings also included historic Buddhist temples, Hindu Kovils and churches. Palitha is a pictorial rather than a photographic painter. He is a realist with an imagination. And his art is so alive, so spirited, so impetuous, that it kindles a sympathetic spark of imagination in the most sluggish of his spectators. He is a excellent painter in new landscapes, new visions, new secrets of nature to capture and to interpret upon the canvas.

His landscapes are prayers in colour, poems of adoration to the gentle beauties of nature. He always painted direct from life. "Do not follow others", he said. "He who follows is always behind... You must interpret nature with entire simplicity and according to your personal sentiment. Listen to the criticism of others," he said and "let your own feelings be your guide."

He had designed many stamps marking several milestones in the nation's progress and the Government Philatelic Bureau has accepted him as a excellent stamp designer. He began life as a commercial artist in the advertising field and rose up as a art director and later quit advertising so that he would be able to commit himself totally to creative art.

He describes water-colours as a 'highly expressive form of art that is both exciting and enjoyable.

He further says that a water-colour artist is capable of capturing the glories of nature with its many strokes of light and dark and in between misty shades with a few strokes of his brush. At present he works from home attracting tourists and intends to open his own art gallery named 'Siththara Arana' (Art house).