art w19
by Michele Malinchak
While true photographic memory is rare, artist Smita Rao is one of those individuals who is able to recall visual information. Working directly from nature, she’s able to take a mental snapshot of a scene, later translating her perception of that image into a finished piece of art.
Her impressionist/modernist landscapes pay homage to the changing seasons and nature’s ability to transform us. Trained in traditional fine art, her work includes a range of media from soft and oil pastels, pen and ink drawings and prints, including linoleum and woodcuts, etchings, monotypes (one-of-a-kind prints) and collagraphs (prints made from a collage of different textures).
“Creating art is a need more than a want,” she said. “It’s like a noise inside my head that won’t stop until the thought is materialized.”
Inspired by the beauty of her surroundings, she might be out walking and see a particular green that catches her fancy. “I’ll think, if I mix Prussian blue and yellow, I can get that color,” she said.
Smita (pronounced Smeeta) doesn’t have to wander far for inspiration. The view from her Doylestown Township studio looks out on a ridge of blue tinged hilltops which she often paints. Generous windows soak in the outdoor light conducive to her work as well as to her collection of thriving tropical plants.
Born and raised in Mumbai, India, she knew she wanted to be an artist at an early age. But before students can apply to any art schools, they must pass a specialized state run exam equivalent to our SAT. In the eighth grade, Smita’s art teacher helped her and a few other students prepare for the test which is offered only during certain years. The competitive exam was administered over a three day period and tested students on a number of skills such as life drawing.
“Everyone had the same supplies so we were all on equal footing,” Smita said. She remembers everyone having to draw marigolds as one part of the test. “It was pretty intimidating—it was way bigger than I thought.”
She passed the exam and finished high school after which she entered the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai where she learned printmaking. Established in 1857, the school accepted only a limited number of students a year from all over India. John Lockwood Kipling, father of author Rudyard Kipling, taught there in 1865 and later became its first principal.
She moved to the U.S. in 1980 and lived in New Jersey before moving to Doylestown Township in 1992. In between raising her two daughters, Smita worked on her art when time allowed. She took a digital art class at Bucks County Community College in 1998 that opened a whole new path of creative expression for her. There she learned how to combine photographs with pencil and ink drawings using Photoshop and Painter software programs. She merged separate layers of art to create one cohesive composition, almost like working with transparent overlays that blend together in the end.
“With computer art there is so much available, so many options,” she said. “The challenge is to control and work with it, to connect emotionally. The computer is only a tool in the artist’s hands.”
While technical expertise is important, the ability to connect with the viewer is equally as vital. “Art is like music,” she said. You can learn to play perfectly but if you can’t move people you’ve failed.”
Her instructor at Bucks told her about a grant through the Leeway Foundation in Philadelphia whose goal is to promote artistic expression among women artists. He encouraged her to apply for the grant which allowed her to carry on her digital work at the college.
In addition, she continued her printmaking and painting with pastels and watercolor. She began exhibiting her work and in 2002 had her first show at the now closed Sabine Rose Gallery in Doylestown.
Compared to her more spontaneous pastel work, the printmaking process is more careful and deliberate. “Printmaking is a precise art form and not very forgiving,” she said. “You must be so sure of the lines. It demands so much out of me and pushes me to a higher level.”
Smita does no preliminary drawings for her pastel art, but for printmaking, she’ll do small sketches in her journal, or what she described as, “grabbing the lines.” She tends to solve the whole composition in her head and is able to visualize the final piece before she does anything.
Much of her work takes on a minimalist approach, especially her etchings in their simplicity of form and subdued color. Here she uses delicate lines to depict wispy blades of grass and graceful branches that appear to sway. In contrast, the luminous colors of her vivid ink drawings remind one of stained glass.
Other works like Silver Branches pictured here, are done in vibrant layers of oil pastel. Fine lines have been scratched on the surface to accentuate the branches.
These days Smita works almost entirely in pastels out of necessity. Five years ago she was involved in a serious car accident that caused traumatic brain injury which permanently changed her. At first, she couldn’t tolerate light in her eyes and saw double along with experiencing headaches and dizziness. Her depth perception was thrown off and the simple act of climbing stairs was difficult if not impossible. The impact from the accident also stretched her eye muscles and now she must wear special glasses to help her focus when she does her art.
Initially, her approach to art had changed dramatically. At first, she could only use colored markers on long sheets of white paper. She would draw repetitive shapes in bold colors that took her days to finish. “It looked nothing like my art,” she said. Printmaking was no longer an option, but eventually she was able to draw with pastels.
Smita has adjusted to changes incurred by the accident, but admits she is not the same person and never will be. “If I was fighting to get back to that person, I’d be angry and frustrated,” she said. “I don’t want to waste energy asking, why me, but try to concentrate on becoming better.” To others who struggle with disabilities, she offers this advice: “Embrace the change and be patient.”
Beneath it all her resolve is strong and there is still some of that feisty eighth grader determined to pursue her goals. She hopes to return to printmaking in the future and recently was excited to hear about new synthetic materials for dry point etching that would replace using copper plates.
Smita’s work has been shown in galleries in the Greater Philadelphia area for more than 15 years and is currently on display at Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery in Washington Crossing, PA. She is grateful to Debbie at the gallery for her support and to others who reached out to her especially after the accident. These include Susan at Hoehne Clark Fine Furniture and Design in Doylestown, who carries some of her art, and Jenny at Phoenix Art Supplies and Framing in Doylestown, who has done most of her framing for many years. Finally, Joseph Borrelli at Chestnut Hill Gallery in Philadelphia has also shown her work in the past and continues to support her. Smita’s work can be seen on her website: www.smitarao.com and on Facebook.
Michele Malinchak is a freelance writer and avid gardener from Quakertown, PA.