Paintings by Shashank Nakate
I am Shashank Nakate, a fine artist based in Pune, Maharashtra (India). My artwork revolves around wildlife, landscapes, cityscapes and abstracts. I experiment with new ideas through abstracts. I have done a few portraits as well. Oil on canvas is the medium I use primarily.
This website is a platform for me to present my work. My artworks are available for sale at Parees Expressions (OPC) Private Limited Chinchwad, Pune, Maharashtra (India) at the following business address.
If you are interested in buying my paintings or simply taking a look at them in person, please drop a message at shash08@live.in or +91-8308944937. You are welcome!
Oil Painting on Canvas - Lion
Artist: Shashank Nakate
Dimensions: 58 cm x 38 cm x 2 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas
Year: 2023
Oil Painting on Canvas - Tigress & Cubs
Artist: Shashank Nakate
Dimensions: 70 cm x 53 cm x 2 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas
Year: 2023
Oil Painting on Canvas - Deer
Artist: Shashank Nakate
Dimensions: 70 cm x 53 cm x 2 cm
Medium: Oil on canvas
Year: 2023
Oil Painting is Fun and Forgiving
When you are just starting out with your painting journey, many questions tend to arise in the mind. They could be what medium to choose, how to grasp the basics and even how to be persistent without losing interest, etc. One important thing to do is to take that first step irrespective of where you stand in your painting journey. You could learn a lot even by observing your surroundings, scenery, the sky, the oceans and everything around you. Literature about fine art helps you become aware of its history. Most importantly you need to practice regularly. Maintaining a sketchbook where you draw and doodle helps in giving your ideas some physical form to start with. Once you master the basics, you experiment with advanced techniques and styles; you would then be working with mix media, layering, glazing, etc. There is no limit to what you can learn when it comes to painting or any art for that matter. It requires patience and passion in equal amounts.
Oil is amongst the most beginner-friendly media of them all. It tends to dry slowly therefore, allows you more time to finish your work when compared to other media like the acrylics. One can make changes and improvements easily with oil; you can operate without worrying about messing up the artwork. Acrylics in comparison to oil paints dry quickly; therefore, they can be utilized best once you decide to stick to your theme till the end of the painting process. If you need more flexibility, oil can definitely help in making changes quickly. It makes life easier and the painting much brighter than with other media. Oil is therefore, one of the friendliest media of them all.
Painting is joyful process and it offers the freedom to express yourself through different styles, subjects, forms and the media being used. One draws inspiration from nature, architectural pieces, the surrounding flora and fauna and ideas as the seed to start. Nature is a great teacher. You learn a lot when you spend time in natural surroundings. It makes your art wholesome and rich. Also, our natural surroundings are artworks in their own right, created by nature. They inspire you to take your own creative journey ahead. Simply looking at the sunset, sunrise, mountains, lakes, trees, birds or even the sea waves crashing on the shore fills your heart with awe and a kind of gratitude for nature and its bounties.
Creating a work of art is an organic process which requires patience and an aesthetic sense of beauty to attain desired results. Such a process is an evolution of a kind which transforms raw energy into something refined, sophisticated and elaborate. Art is a world in itself. A given artwork can be looked at from different angles and understood in different ways by different people. Symbolism and abstract ideas infused in art make it even more interesting to decipher for the observer. It can be a healthy exercise to read paintings just like you read poems or beautiful passages from prose. Just that the language changes here. Learning the language of visuals and symbols and images can be as fun and exciting as reading a novel. You just need to give it some time.
For an artist, drawing that first line, making that first brushstroke is the first step in the journey into the unknown; the journey can be quite exciting. What would become of the that first brushstroke, by the end of the painting process, may not always be clear at the very beginning; however, once a seed of thought is sown, things tend to get clearer; the result is that some structure and definiteness is brought to the work. There are elements which you would add, tweak and build on later. However, a thread of continuity of theme persists, ideally, till the end of the whole process.
Joy of Painting
As the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Also, a picture is a thousand expressions packed together, and probably an entire story told in the space of a single frame. A person can see a picture and imagine thousand different ways to interpret it. It depends on the outlook, preconceptions and overall knowledge one gains over the years. One could simply savor the beauty of an artwork instead of analyzing it like a professional critic. Such being-in-the-moment happiness is sometimes fun and worth more than going the intellectual way. However, there can be benchmarks or parameters on which one might want to judge art. The underlying idea would be to give it some structure without losing the freedom to express ourselves.
Spiritual Nature of Art
Determining the quality of a product or inherent value it possesses can be difficult at times. Similarly, it is quite tough to elaborate on or to determine an artwork's quality. It is, however, relatively easier to point out highlights or the bright side one observes. Such qualities or features which evoke joy or bring out happiness in the heart is what one tends to appreciate in an artwork. A piece of art holds the power to evoke emotions to take you down the memory lane; it can offer a glimpse into the enigmatic spiritual world or simply lighten up the mood after a hectic day's work. Art is closely associated with that which arises from the realm of the soul, spirit or something that is inherent. It can incorporate symbolism from the external world to support or manifest itself into the physical world. However, the true source or nature of an artwork is the spiritual or higher self.
We live a life of creative expression throughout our journey on planet earth. We may not realize, at times, that our day-to-day life is a constant process of shaping, re-shaping, moulding and in a way recreating our personality, environment and even our entire being. As we understand the process of how our actions, thoughts and speech shape our journey, we make necessary amends and improvements to them. Such activities may not, at once, appear as creative as writing poetry or making a magnificent painting. However, despite commonly held beliefs, even mundane activities, which hold the potential to improve our lives, can be called creative expressions in their own right.
One has the capability of thinking creatively in a variety of ways without limiting their potential. It is possible to build great things from scratch through a great vision, sincere efforts and perseverance. It is therefore, important to take that first step towards your dreams.
Universe of Painting and Creative Forms of Art
Finding your purpose or calling can be a turning point in your life that leads to an amazing world of happiness and joy. Your interests, skills, capabilities and dreams can converge into something called purpose.
The depth of your thoughts give meaning to your day-to-day life. You need to give some time to introspect and contemplate and understand what you are best at. When you commit to practicing your craft and art with persistence and a clear vision, your life begins to improve. It opens up avenues of a beautiful and prosperous life; when you put your efforts in the right direction, it can lead to great results.