Geetanjali Krishna: Gokul, the artist in waiting

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The young boy sat quietly, chewing his lip in concentration. He was drawing a picture of a serene goddess on a piece of parchment. His old grandfather watched him wield his pencil skillfully with pride. When he had been young, he had painted wall murals that were the rage in Benares. But in his middle years, he had been reduced to painting tacky advertisements when wall painting lost popularity in Benares. "There's nothing sadder than seeing your art die in front of your eyes," he said, "but in my grandson Gokul, I see it take form once again. And that pleases me more than anything else!"

A student of class seven, Gokul showed artistic promise at an early age. Around that time, his grandfather began trying to adapt his style of painting to parchment instead of walls. Till a few decades ago, most outer walls in Benares were covered with beautiful religious frescoes. "But these weren't in keeping with modern constructions. People were whitewashing old walls to clean them up, not caring that old wall paintings were getting covered up in the process," he said.

So instead of painting pictures of gods, goddesses and mythological scenes on walls, he painted them on paper instead. The transition from walls to paper proved unexpectedly successful, and he decided to formally induct Gokul into painting.

"When grandfather began teaching me two years ago," said Gokul, "I used to sketch animals all the time, trying day after day to get their postures and expressions right. He taught me proper sketching and painting techniques." When the child began learning, his work was so good that it began to get sold within months. The grandfather-grandson team found a market for their art not just with tourists, but rich locals too, selling their paintings for Rs 350 and more. "That was a big boost to my confidence," said Gokul, "I decided to make art my life."

The thirteen-year-old said he practises art daily, rushing through school and homework to pick up his paint brush. Although in school (he's in class seven), Gokul's heart is clearly only in painting. "I spend most of my time in school doodling in my books," he said, grinning, "and run to grandfather as soon as I finish school, and paint till late evening."

At school, Gokul has won many prizes for art, and the accolades have only strengthened his resolve to take this up full time after completing school. "I keep telling my parents that schooling won't really benefit me, that I'm an artist and am learning all that's going to be useful to me from my grandfather "" but they don't agree," he said. So he's waiting for summer vacations to commence, when no studies would come between him and his brush.

The one person who understands Gokul is his guru""his grandfather. "I used to look at walls in my heyday, and know instantly what to paint on them," said the old artist. "I see Gokul do the same with blank sheets of paper. Art is not something that can be easily learnt "" it's in one's blood!"

Gokul looked thrilled, so he added sternly, "I have, however, experienced some really low periods as an artist, and so I believe schooling is necessary as a back up." Then he carefully helped Gokul put some finishing touches on the goddess he was painting. Pinning the finished work up to dry, he said, "Teaching Gokul is my life now. It's the only way I have to ensure that the art that I've loved and practised for so many years, survives after I'm gone."