G S Smitha needs space for her paintings

KOZHIKODE: An award winning woman painter is seeking help to keep her works as her small house cannot accommodate them, and they are getting destroyed. Smitha G. S., who had won accolades including the honourable mention by Kerala Lalithakala Academy during her 28-year career, feels Kerala is not a place for an artist to make ends meet. Hailing from Atholi near here, her family includes husband Ratheep P., a former soldier, two sons and mother.

After she failed to keep and sell her works, the family is finding it hard to pull on, and her elder son is on the verge of dropping out of college in Bengaluru. “It was his biggest dream to do engineering, and he joined for BTech. I expected to raise some money by holding exhibitions and selling my paintings," she says.  "However, we did not have initial amount to deposit for the exhibitions and the house is so small to keep my works here. Our son has decided to drop the course and return.” The artist is seeking some sponsors to put her works on display for free and space for keeping her finished paintings. Once they find sellers, she feels, she can fund the education of her children, at least.