MURAL PAINTING- EDU 107.4 SUPW- Service-1 & Product-1 (Art in Education)

 

SUPW

Socially useful productive work is to be developed in the light of the Gandhian philosophy of basic ed­ucation which was work-centred. In Basic education as propounded by Gand­hiji craft occupied a pivotal position because by education he meant drawing out of the best in the child and man-body, mind and spirit.

Socially Useful Productive work has been described by the Ishwarbhai Patel Committee (1977) as purposive, meaningful, manual work re­sulting into either goods or services which are useful to the community. The first word “SOCIALLY” emphasizes that the child who has attained a minimum level of education should be able to function efficiently in his community.
The second word “USEFUL’ stresses that the work should lead to something that is useful to the child and also to the community or society in terms of returns. “PRODUCTIVE” is meant that the product or service should be a useful addition to the existing resource or practices of education. "WORK" means the efforts directed to an end. 

Man­ual work becomes purposive when it meets the educational requirements. For this purpose, it is necessary to go into the why and wherefore of every pro­cess of the work so that it is performed intelligently and not mechanically. A curricular activity proves meaningful when it is related to the needs of the learner and the community to which he belongs. It becomes more mean­ingful when it is related to the basic needs, viz., food, shelter, clothing, health and recreation and community and social service.

Aim of SUPW:

The aim of this curricular area is to provide students with op­portunities of participating in social and economic activities inside and out­side the class room,

To enables them to understand scientific principles and processes involved in different types of work and in the setting in which they are found in the physical and social environment.

To inculcate values and positive attitudes like self-reliance, dignity of labour, co-operation, helpfulness etc.

To solve the ever-growing problems of unemployment by imparting training for self-entrepreneurship.

As a part of B.Ed curriculum, we the students of ASTC, Kalady undertook two SUPW programme. One is product oriented and the other is service oriented. They are as follows

1. MURAL PAINTING

1.0 Introduction

The mural paintings of Kerala remain the most iconic symbol of the region's culture and artistic traditions. The oldest of India's 'drawing' tradition could be the Jataka Tales etched on the walls of the Ajanta caves.  From there, the Buddhist monks took it to various parts of the world, wherein the art form evolved through a synthesis of cultures.

In Kerala, the mural art traditions are traced to the 8th century AD. The first of the mural paintings in Kerala is said to be the ones at the Thirunandikara cave temple. The mural paintings of Kerala are mostly from the 14th century AD. There are over 150 Temples in Kerala which have ancient mural art forms. Here, in this record we framed the meaning, history, style and report of the mural painting work shop held in our college as a part of our curriculum.

1.2 Etymology and Meaning of Mural Painting

            The word ‘mural’ derived from the Latin word ‘murus’ which means wall. It can be defined as any piece of artwork painted or applied directly onto a wall, ceiling or other larger permanent surfaces, flat, concave or convex, to be precise. In murals, architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into its creation.

Every mural is a testament to the depth of dedication the artists have to their art. The temples and palaces of Kerala are all a visual treat wherein the sagas of ancient Hindu Gods and Goddesses unfold. The murals of Kerala evolved through the significant influences of ancient Dravidian rituals like Kalamezhuthu and Patayani. The murals of Kerala are unparalleled in their subtlety, sharpness and ethereal beauty.

The materials used in mural art work like pigments, brushes, gum etc. are all taken made of natural materials like minerals and plants. The most frequently used pigments in Kerala murals are consisting of five colours or Panchvarna, namely, green, red, blue, black, yellow and white as a wall colour.

1.2 History of Mural Painting in Kerala

The traditional mural paintings of Kerala are a fine art of skill and creative excellence. Most of the noted mural works of Kerala were done between the 15th and 19th centuries. They bear a stamp of uniqueness in techniques used and aesthetics. Among murals, the ones from Kerala stand out for their finesse.

The oldest of the murals found in Kerala are those in the Thirunandikkara Cave temple now a part of Kanyakumari district in the neighbouring State of Tamil Nadu. The largest mural panel in Kerala called the Gajendra Moksha is at the Krishnapuram Palace near Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district. Extensive murals depicting scenes from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Bhagavatha are preserved at the Mattancherry Palace in Ernakulam district. The murals of the Shiva Temple at Ettumanoor provide insights into the earliest forms of Dravidian mural art.

After the invasion of Tippu Sultan the major revenue of temples were controlled by British rulers. These resulted in a poor economic condition as far as the temples are concerned. The encouragements of arts became drastically impossible due to the above negative forces. The climatic conditions also did not favour the paintings. The paintings were ruined because it got wet and this lack of maintenance destroyed their beauty and led to the loss of these murals forever. But the fate of the murals took a positive turn in the 20th century. During the period of Raja Ravi Varma and K.C.S Paniker the mural paintings were popular. Then onwards certain centres were opening up wherein classes were held to teach the Kerala mural art. This brought the Kerala murals back to life.

An ideal souvenir to be treasured for a lifetime, Kerala murals are a symbol of natural beauty and grace, elegance and simplicity and of pious devotion. It is this humility that helps this art form overcome the ravages of civilization and time.

1.3. STYLE (SHAILI) OF MURAL PAINTING

Kerala traditional mural art is a style that speaks to the culture of Kerala. The Kerala mural art its root in kalamezhuthu, the tradition of drawing on floors using colours. It draws on the basis of prayers, hymns of goodness etc.

Mural painting has five components or factors and it must be matched. They are as follows.

1. Dhyana Slokam

2. Thala Pramanam

3. Panchavarna Sidhantham

4. Gunaganangal

5. Rekhiya Pradhonyam

1. Dhynaslokham: It tells about the exact of picture. It wind up with prayers and hymns. It shows the arrangement of hands, heads, ornaments etc.

2. Thala pramanam: Mural painting has an exact dimensions and the drawing based on the dimensions, proportions and pose are two other mandates for this type of mural etc. Every  part of the body of characters in the painting must adhere to proportions laid down for the art. For instance, the neck is one fourth of the face and so on. God (7.5 thalam) and goddess (6.5 thalam) have different measures.

3. Gunas and Ganas: Gunas are laid down by Hindu scriptures in the order satvik, rajasic and tamasic. The characters in the murals are coloured according to their characteristics as illustrated in the relevant Hindu mythological scriptures. Spiritual, divine and dharmic characters (satwika) are depicted in shades of green. Those influenced towards power & materialistic wealth (rajasic) are painted in shades of red to golden yellow. Evil, wicked and mean characters (tamasic) are generally painted in white or black.

4. Panchavarna: The mural portraits consists of 5 colours of panchavarna namely yellow, red, green, black and blue prepared from mineral pigments and plants.

5. Rekhiya Pradonyam: Kerala murals are known for the impeccable sketching. Final outlines of the painting usually painted in black. Mashiyezhuthu is a ritual in temples. The picture should be drawn with blackish borders. It is important in mural painting

1.3.1. Stages of painting

First Stage: Lekhya Karma – Stage of sketching using a pencil or crayon.

Second Stage: Rekha Karma – Outlines made on the sketches

Third Stage: Varna Karma - Painting with colours of the human figures depending on the characters and common qualities.

Fourth Stage: Vartana Karma - Shading is done.

 Fifth Stage: Lekha Karma -Final outlines of the painting, usually painted in black.

Sixth Stage or the Final Stage: Dvika Karma - The final and the finishing touches are done to the painting.

1.3.2. Wall preparation

Preparing a wall involves three stages of plastering the wall with different substances.

1.     Plaster of a mixture of lime and clean sand in the ratio 1:2.

2.     Plaster of a mixture of lime and sand in the ratio 1:2, and cotton (Gossypium herbaceum). Cotton is used to give a gleaming white texture to the wall.

3.     25-30 washes of a mixture of quick lime and the juice of very tender coconut.

1.3.3. Colour preparation

Traditional murals used panchavarana (Sanskrit: five colours) exclusively i.e. red, yellow, green, black and white, white being the colour of the wall itself. Colours are prepared from vegetable and mineral pigments. Red is derived from red laterite, yellow is derived from yellow laterite, white from lime, and black from oil-lamp soot. Leaves of Neelamari (Indian Indigo; Indigofera tinctoria ) plant are squeezed and the extract is used after drying up to be mixed with Eravikkara (Garcinia morella) for obtaining the green pigment. Wooden utensils are used for mixing the colours and the binding media used is derived from tender coconut water and extracts from the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica).

1.3.4. Painting brush.

Flat brush – Made from the hair taken from the back of the ears of the calves

Medium brush – Made from the hair found under the goat’s belly

Fine brush – Made from the delicate blades of grass or tails of muskrats.

Eyyam Pullu, a local leaf is treated and tied to the bamboo sticks

 

1.4. Contemporary Changes in Mural Painting

Traditionally, the colors and the brushes used by the artists are obtained by natural means. But due to inventions and the interactions of chemical paints, more artists prefer to use the star brought paints as they are more convent and less time consuming as they usually have to find the required sources and prepare them. The introduction of different types of paints such as acrylics, oil paint, fabric paint etc. have exposed the work to different media and also a quicker and more convenient techniques. Hence, artists use easily available brushes and paints purchase from the commercial market. The shading of the original colours can be distinctively changed. The use of blue colors is also noticed. A shift from the walls to readymade canvass, plywood, cloth, paper and other frames can be noticed for aesthetics and effortless rational.

1.5. Report on Mural Painting Workshop

We have done a work in SUPW. For that, a workshop on mural painting was conducted on 10th February 2022 in our college auditorium. Our art professor Mr. Arun and his colleague initiated this workshop. They started the class around 10 a.m. with a short description on mural painting. The articles needed for the painting were distributed a day before. It mainly contains three brushes, five shades of colour, canvas etc. We followed the contemporary method of Kerala mural painting. Arun sir gave all the guidelines and instructions before driving especially about the use of paint and brush because it has an order.

The portrayal begins by tracing the picture on Canvas and followed by a yellow wash and then with the red colour we draw on the lines. After putting lines with red wash, we painted the picture with other appropriate colours too. Finally, the picture got completion by black outlines. It was a step by step process.

From these step by step process we realized how a mural painting created. Sure, it needs talents, patients, sense of colour, dedication and so on. I bow down my head to before mural painters of ages.

Finally, I got a beautiful and colourful mural painting and I can't wipe out my surprise on my face. It was a new and amazing first-time experience for me when I finished my work. My friends, teachers and family congratulated me after seeing my painting even though it is not excellent. I acknowledged, there is a sleeping man in me with a talent of painting. Thank you, Arun Sir and teachers, for giving me this wonderful experience.