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Geetha

"I really enjoyed my childhood. Being the youngest, I was pampered by everyone in the family. I was brought up in the beautiful city of Bangalore where I lived in an ancient house. It was surrounded by trees, flowers and lots of open spaces. It was so much fun.

"My constant attraction to the world of art has to do a lot with my family. We have a strong bond with Indian art and culture. One of my sisters is a classical dancer, my brother is a sports person and another sister an artist. She has been my greatest inspiration, along with my children and husband; they are my biggest supporters too. My first experience in painting was at the age of nine when I attended an art class with my elder sister, and my painting was displayed on the school board.

"Since childhood, I have always been very active and always desired to do something in life. I wanted to keep myself occupied with a creative activity - be it sports, art or social work. At the age of ten, I started playing table tennis and played until I was 22. During these years, I represented my school and state for 11 years. I held second position in the National Table Tennis Championship and was ranked number two in India. In the meantime, I received my bachelor's degree in economics with honors. I also did post graduate work in advertising and marketing.

"Then I got married and moved to Delhi where I took Montessori teacher's training, acquired a B.Ed. and worked as a lecturer, teaching child psychology and art.

"Years passed, I did lots of things I wanted to do, but my heart was still yearning for something else. I knew my calling and in 1994 I started exploring my passion for art once again. I started painting on pottery and later worked on canvas. More often than not I was seen immersed in the world of painting. I derive great joy from this. Perfection is my motto, and I wanted to attain perfection in my work, so in 1996, I joined a highly acclaimed art school cum gallery to learn more.

"During a recent trip to the USA, I visited the Chicago Art Institute, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Shorn Fleshor Collection and the National Gallery of Art, among others. It was a great treat.

"Any form of art is beautiful, but some people whose work fascinates me are Vermeer, Degas, Gustav Callibotte, Camille Pissaro and Claude Monet. Among the Indian contemporary artists, I enjoy the works of Satish Gujral, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Vijendra Sharma and Ramachandran, among others.

"Most of my paintings relate to me, they are inspired b my day-to-day life, my experience as a mother, my children, the environment surrounding me, or something which I have encountered in the past. I have been married for 29 years now and my husband has been always there for me. He is a lawyer by profession and loves art. He does not miss an opportunity to be amid artwork. He always encourages me – he is my guide, my friend. Both my children are extremely supportive of my work too; though they live abroad, I feel they are close to me and they inspire me to continue. If it wasn't for my husband and children, I wouldn't be where I am today."