For Deepthi Gooneratne, who will be having an exhibition in a couple of weeks, art is a form of relaxation and a way of expressing herself. She spoke to us about her exhibition “Colours Transcending” and her journey in art spanning some 30 years.

Q WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR UPCOMING ART EXHIBITION AND WHEN AND WHERE WILL IT BE HELD? My exhibition “Colours Transcending,” will be held at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery on October 27th and 29th. (The Gallery is closed on October 28th Poya.)

Q WHAT IS THE REASON FOR HAVING AN ART EXHIBITION OF THIS NATURE? I have been painting for about 30 years now, and although I have participated in collective exhibitions before, this will be the first time I am showcasing a collection of just my work. During the last few years, with Covid forcing us to spend more time indoors in our own company, I have created prodigiously and now the walls of my home are covered with my paintings. My friends convinced me to have the exhibition as they felt that others would also enjoy them.

Q TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY IN ART AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU OR HOW IT HAS INSPIRED YOU. As a child, my mother encouraged me to explore my interest in art, and I even did Art for my O/L although I didn’t pursue it seriously beyond that. My mother, Adeline Gooneratne, used to make beautiful batik designs herself and these influenced me in different ways – encouraging me to experiment with colour, design and style, over the years. As I admired the work of artist Michael (Mike) Anthonisz, he suggested I attend art classes with Dora Aluwihare, a Croatian artist in 1992, and I exhibited with her class for the first time. These classes opened my mind up to different global influences.

Thereafter, in order to explore the more traditional local styles and the art of watercolour, I learnt these skills from Jayasiri Semage. When I moved to the UK and resided there for 10 years, while my children were at University, I attended art classes at St Martin's whenever I could whilst balancing working a full-time job. These weekend and evening classes exposed me to various artists and their styles and I developed a liking for abstract art, which eventually led to exploring my current method of fluid art.

Q DO YOUR PAINTINGS FOCUS ON ANY PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND OBJECTS, AND IF SO, WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS? I have always been an avid gardener and take pride in my garden. Whenever I got a chance I used to paint foliage that I saw. Most of my paintings are centred on trees or influenced by a botanical scene or peculiarity. This is probably why my garden is so full of begonias because of their variety of shades and patterns. My earlier paintings used to focus very much on the detail of a plant or image, but even with the abstract paintings, I am drawn to connecting it to a natural scene in some way or another. My children have supplied me with material, as well, through their personal interest in marine animals and dance.

Q TELL US ABOUT THE FLUID PAINTINGS THAT YOU DO. I got interested in fluid paintings as it has an element of unpredictability. This is an art where one does not use brushes other than to enhance the final painting. While I was in the UK, I went for a few classes and was fascinated by the methods used. I watched demonstrations on YouTube and got new ideas. Unfortunately, most of the paint needed for this particular method cannot be found in Sri Lanka, so I have to ship paint from the UK which is a costly process. Sometimes my friends bring me some materials when they travel from overseas.

Q YOU MENTIONED THAT PART OF THE PROCEEDS OF THIS EXHIBITION WILL GO TOWARDS A PROJECT AT THE LADY RIDGEWAY HOSPITAL – WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS? A friend who was visiting from the US was giving a donation to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, so I drove her there as she was going to promote the project when she returned to the USA. The doctor in charge sent us on a tour of the place. Seeing the needs of the babies and their mothers and the inspiring work that the hospital does, I wanted to help and thought that contributing financially through the sale of my paintings would be one way I could do this.

Q WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE INSPIRED YOU IN YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH ART? My mother has always inspired and encouraged me. She was an artistic soul and ensured that her children had a rounded education and developed an appreciation for the arts. Her exquisite needlework even inspired me to spend some time creating cross-stitch art at one point, which is a painstaking process. Travelling has also been a very inspirational experience for me – getting to see the exquisite art from historical architecture, foreign cultures and even just breath-taking natural scenes has always inspired me to find my own way to pay tribute to the beauty the world has to offer.

Q HOW DO YOU HOPE TO CONTINUE BEING INVOLVED IN ART? For me, art is a form of relaxation and expression, so I will continue creating what comes to mind and exploring the different forms of expression which are out there.

By Kshalini Nonis