Summer art camp for school kids, a good draw in Thanjai

THANJAVUR: Summer holidays are not for only merry making. They can be used for learning too. As many as 35 students from various schools in Thanjavur are trying their hands in drawing at the summer camp organised by Sadama Kalai Payirchiyagam (Sadama art training centre) at Thanjavur.

S.Anusha of Auxillium Higher Secondary school has completed tenth standard and awaiting results, has been attending the drawing camp besides taking to swimming in the morning at the swimming pool at Annai Sathya Stadium. “This drawing camp is interesting. We used to prepare sketches using pencils and water colour them later.” Another interesting feature is they teach how to draw Thanjavur traditional glass painting. “We have to prepare the sketch and keep it under the glass and sketch it on the plain glass suing a special sketch pen. Then colour it to make a traditional Thanjavur painting,” she said and showed a Vinayaga sketch copied on glass.

V. Iniyan is another tenth standard student of Government Higher Secondary school at Pillaiyarpatti. He also said that the camp improved his drawing skill. Son of a drama teacher at Tamil University, Iniyan said that he would like to pursue fine arts in higher education.

N. Sowbarnika, a third standard student from St. Patrick’s higher secondary school at Bengaluru, on summer vacation to her grandma’s house at Thanjavur, was also there at the camp. “Besides drawing, I am interested in singing,” she said. Sandana Sri of second standard and Sadhana Sri of sixth standard from Mahrishi Vidya mandir are sisters. They said that the painting camp has come as both entertainment and skill learning for them.

A. Kumaresan, a trainer of Tamil University, organiser of the camp, said that they have been organising such camps every year. This year participation is more, as parents want to put away their children from mobiles, television and internet.