Workshops in less-explored art and craft disciplines abound in Thiruvananthapuram

The small group is all ears as Amiya J Hisham takes them through making linocut prints, showing them some samples and introducing them to the ink, the tools and the technique. It is one of the many workshops at Bottega Art Studio at Sasthamangalam in Thiruvananthapuram, run by artists-designers Amiya and Gouthami MG. The space has had workshops on upcycling, zine making, analog collage, and Giacometti sculpture, among others ever since it opened in August.

Two days later, I am at GiftyS Craft Store, a few metres away from Bottega, where Gifty Bright, artist-cum-owner of the store, is teaching crochet to around 20 people, including school students and senior citizens. She has led over 20 workshops since GiftyS opened last year, covering airdry clay, macrame, jewellery making, string art, lippan art, mural painting, amigurumi, dreamcatcher making etc.

Learning an art or craft is no longer confined to painting, drawing or embroidery. Varied and exciting options are now available for the artistically inclined in Thiruvananthapuram. The trend is that the city is teeming with workshops on a wide range of art and crafts like never before.

Gifty Bright leading airdry clay workshop at GiftyS Craft Store, Sasthamangalam
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While crochet continues to find takers, amigurumi and macrame are catching up. Dreamcatcher-making has found its fans, so have pottery, decoupage and Mandala art. Also on the list are lippan art, resin art, coffee painting, doll making, origami, traditional Indian painting styles etc. With Christmas a few weeks away, workshops on making Christmas decor and ornaments for the Christmas tree are being announced.

What has led to this surge in workshops is the presence of several enterprising artists who conduct classes either at their own art space or at rented venues such as The Whitepaper Creative, Premier, Casa Mi Amor etc. The fee at the workshops starts from ₹800 and can go up to ₹3,000 or more. The rate is inclusive of materials provided to the attendees.

These classes are, in a way, opportunities for the artists to create, learn and share their knowledge with art lovers. Gifty, who sells premium products such as dry flowers, handmade paper, premium wedding invites, luxury candles and other products under different brand names, says that she opened GiftyS (@giftys_thecraftstore) to sell DIY kits and raw materials. “But when those who came to shop kept asking me to hold workshops, I decided to start. The response has been encouraging, especially with people of all age groups coming in. We even do workshops for free when new products arrive at the store,” says Gifty.

Interest in macrame also is picking up, thanks to artists like Ganga Mini Panicker, an architect who runs Mini DIY Creative Studio (@minidiy_creativestudio). “During the lockdown I found that macrame was getting popular. I started focussing on it, began online classes and went offline once the lockdown was lifted. The art calls for a lot of patience and micro macrame, which is slightly difficult, is my current area of interest. You can create intricate designs with knots,” says Ganga.

Ganga Mini Panicker
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It was Liza Oommen of Ohana Creatives (@ohana.creatives) who caught people’s attention with resin art. “I learnt it during the lockdown. Resin is so versatile that you can make anything out of it — jewellery, key chains, coasters, trays…,” says Liza, adding that she started teaching because her friends insisted. “I was surprised by the demand for the classes, especially for trinket trays. Participants enjoy moulding coasters into trinket trays. A person who has learned the basics can work with resin provided he or she has the patience,” adds Liza. She mentions with pride that a student from her first batch, Anaswara Johny, has started making and selling resin products to her family and friends.

Workshop on linocut prints at Bottega, Sasthamangalam
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Athira M

As for Amiya and Gouthami, Bottega (@bottega.studio) is a realisation of their dream to promote local talent. “Each workshop is a learning experience. Even if there are five participants, that is a good number for us,” says Amiya, adding, “Bottega means an artist’s workspace where other artists can also work. This is a place for creative people to work, create and meet other artists, thereby bringing in variety through their sessions.”

Artistes are enthused by the growing population of art and craft enthusiasts who look forward to these workshops. Bensy Stephen, a higher secondary school teacher, has set aside most of her weekends for these sessions. Adept at stitching and embroidery since her teenage years, she has so far attended classes in mural painting, clay flowers and clay angels, crocheting etc at GiftyS. Bensy says, “I love to indulge myself by learning arts and crafts. These workshops come in handy for people like me who can’t attend long-term courses due to our jobs,” Sometimes, her daughter Joslin Rebecca Justin accompanies her to the workshops. “Now I am on the lookout to learn ari work. I just love that!” she adds with a laugh.

Aruna Harish
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There is more to these workshops than keeping people engaged in a vocation. Aruna Harish, an art educator who conducts workshops in over 20 disciplines, says that learning any art or craft relieves stress. “Each of us is creative in one way or another and I find it exciting to introduce something new each time,” she says referring to her classes on different painting styles such as gouache, coffee, wood, ceramic, leaf, glass, ceramic plate etc, paper quilling, and doll making. She adds, “Plate painting, my first class, had so many takers that I did many sessions. Coffee painting has had a tremendous response too and I am planning to do one with tea dust,” says Aruna, who runs the venture, Colors & Creation (@colorsandcreation).

Vineetha Nair, an art educator who runs Sarga Creative Space (@sarga_creative_space) points out, “Art sharpens your mind, as in the case of crochet, which improves concentration. One mistake can spoil whatever you have done till then. I have had attendees dealing with anxiety or depression, and children with ADHD (Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder). Some come over to escape loneliness, especially women in their 60s or 70s,” says Vineetha, who takes classes in crochet, Mandala art, dreamcatcher making, and basics of traditional Indian art such as lippan art, Gond art, Pattachitra etc.

Vineetha Nair leading a workshop 
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Her student, John J Chandy, who is studying journalism, says, “It took time for me to get a hang of crochet but that process helped to improve my concentration. That was also a welcome break from the unhappy atmosphere at home. Later I attended her amigurumi classes. Now I keep making crochet products daily. I want to learn jewellery making, dreamcatcher making and macrame,” he says.

According to Linda Jones, an Ayurveda doctor, these workshops are the best way to get out of the monotony of daily grind. “I feel young and happy. You needn’t party with friends to unwind, even a one-day class can do that for you. It is therapeutic,” says Linda, having picked up the basics of pottery and macrame.

A bonding with art session at The Whitepaper Creative
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If someone is looking for a studio experience, head to The White Paper Creative (@thewhitepapercreative) run by Anupama Ramachandran. “Those who want to indulge in art can come in. I don’t teach them; I provide all the materials and encourage them to be creative, be it children or adults. For some, art helps them deal with loneliness or improve their motor skills,” says Anupama, who also rents out her space to other artistes in the city.

Gouthami MG (left) and Amiya J Hisham run Bottega at Sasthamangalam
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Most of the workshops have limited seats and usually the participants are not expected to know the basics. “We tell them that they can do it and that makes them confident. Some of them work together thus developing a camaraderie. Friendships are born at the workshops,” says Gifty.

Anupama Ramachandran
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That’s not all. The artists also attend each other’s workshops. Anupama, for example, was at one of the classes on resin art by Liza. “I love learning new techniques,” she says.