Latifa's passion

For Latifa Ismail, creative mentor to hundreds of young artists, painting is about putting down what she feels on paper. She loves art, says it means everything to her and firmly believes every individual can paint.

Her aim is to bring out the creativity in children. She does this by allowing them to work by themselves.

That she enjoys teaching children is reflected in the number of kids she's shaped, moulded and guided into becoming artist in their own rights over the years. Her love and commitment to the cause is reflected in the fact that she continues to have art classes for both children and adults.

According Latifa, atmosphere is important for an artist as is colour, be it veteran or novice. She makes a conscious effort to create a suitable environment for her students, and teach them about the importance of colour choice and balance.

"Colour plays an integral part in painting because it reveals feelings," she says, explaining that although people spend millions to purchase modern paintings, which are supposed to be masterpieces, the bad colour choices throw bad rays, which is not good for the health because it can cause sadness and depression. She says modern painters are not thinking about this but the Old Masters did. She also points out that in period paintings people were made to look beautiful, but modern painters make people look ugly and select morbid themes.

Personally, Latifa likes to paint flowers and landscapes, because these please her. Figures can be interesting, she says, but claims they can also disturbing at times. She admits contemporary art in Sri Lanka is interesting because it makes one think.

She prefers oil because it is the easiest and most beautiful medium and because it obeys the artist, helping make the painting come alive. Water colour she says is the most difficult medium because it is not easy to get the structure of water.

Latifa received her training in art from the prestigious University of London, the Haywood Art College and St. Bridget's Convent, Colombo. The Irish nuns at St. Bridget's encouraged her to paint and also to teach.

She taught art at St. Bridget's for about four years, but found teaching in a school to be too structured and hence not entirely suitable for her creative inclinations. She decided to set out on her own, and set up a small teaching studio in her home, when her daughter turned four.

Teaching was always her passion, and a teacher she remained, never wanting to become a professional artist but rejoicing in the artists she helped mould.

Pictures by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa