Suhita Shirodkar is an obsessive-sketcher and graphic designer. With tradeyourtalent she speaks about her recent travels to India and why she is addicted to sketching her surroundings.
During which moments are you most creative?
I find it hard to "set aside" time to be creative, so I carry my portable studio with me everywhere: a couple of sketchbooks ( in case I can make 2 quick sketches: while a sketch dries in one book, I start on a second one), an extra-fine sharpie ( I love sketching with these: the ink runs out of them real quick forcing me to keep my lines quick and fluid), colored pencils, a portable set of watercolors, a couple of brushes, and a water container. Sometimes all I have is 15 minutes between meetings, or before I pick up my kids: I'll stop anywhere that catches my eye during my drive and make a quick sketch. ( I just did a posting about this. But I'm most excited by travel: it's always fun to draw places and things you've never seen before. There's something really exciting about capturing first impressions. You recently travelled to India. How did you try to capture the travel experiences in your work?
I was In India visiting (lots of) family, and I just drew wherever I could.. suddenly all the tedious parts- the long waits at the airport, the endless flight halfway across the world- became opportunities to sketch. One rainy day we were stuck at my in-laws home with the roof leaking. It was hard to even walk around the house without stepping into puddles. I sat in a corner and sketched the only view I had: the ceiling.
Can you describe one special moment you tried to sketch?
I spent one whole week during my trip to India just traveling and sketching with my teenage nieces.Most of my sketching happens around 2 little kids aged 3 and 5, but this week was different. One peaceful morning in Delhi, we settled down to sketch Humayun's Tomb, a grand building that is the predecessor to the Taj Mahal. I thought I was going to capture this monument on a quiet, calm morning. But everything changed within a few minutes. A whole bunch of school buses arrived, packed with kids that were loud, excited and full of energy. They swarmed in a mass of red school uniforms towards the monument. It was fantastic to capture the madness and energy of the moment. I love unexpected things like that. Suddenly the sketch was about more than just another monument.
Are you a full time artist,or do you do something besides art ?
I am a graphic designer, a mom of 2 kids, an obsessive sketcher and I run an online store on etsy. I'm little bits of way too many things! One day though, I'd love to be a full time artist. Until then, I plan to fill lots and lots of sketchbooks.
Where do you get your inspiration?
From the world around me. From my travels. I am particularly drawn to urban settings and vibrant colors. Chaos and color are two things I love to capture. Big cities, and cultures full of color, like Mexico and India, are very inspiring.
If you could give some creative advice to young artists,what would it be?
This isn't something I came up with, I heard it from a fellow artist, but it's worth repeating: if you love doing something at age 5, it is probably something you can be happy doing your whole life. I loved to draw as a kid. But somewhere along the way, I stopped drawing, and only got back to my sketchbook habit a couple of years ago. It's an addiction now. And I love it.
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