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As Artists, we always leave behind a part of us in what we do - our drawings, compositions or spoken words  … this body of work is a valuable legacy - but to whom & how that only time can tell.

Take the case of Van Gogh - the artist sold just one painting during his lifetime & was plagued by mental and physical illness throughout his life. In February 1888, the Dutch artist left Paris for Provence. Coming from the gray skies and flat lands of the north, he was bowled over by the sun, bright colors, rugged landscape, and raw people in southern France (Arles). He felt inspired to paint furiously for the next two years to capture whatever he saw before him … these impressions of Van Gogh were the future masterpieces.

Again, despite his reputation as a painter, a scientist & even a mathematician in some circles … as he aged, Leonardo’s true legacy became his notebooks - a lifetime of scientific & artistic explorations captured in thousands of fragile pages, which he never separated from him  … Now it’s a much sought-after item for collectors across the world.

These famous artists & many others like them never create their artworks as a legacy or for decorating the walls of art museums … that may happen much later. In most cases these start as simple expressions  of what they observe of life around them, the beauty of nature or the drama of everyday life … which appeal to them very strongly & help them grow as artists. Many of them are compelled to record these or create mementos of the times & life they had lived.  

In the words of Van Gogh himself …

“It is not the language of painters but the language of Nature that one should listen to…. The feeling for the things themselves, for reality, is more important than the feeling for pictures.”

It may also be said that an artist’s legacy could be many things … sometimes well preserved & sometimes a little ignored - I can clearly remember a squarish painting hanging in a corner of our old ancestral home - a little dusty & yellowed with time. But if you stood close enough, you could still see the fine lines & get the story that it is supposed to tell. Interestingly, some of the older members of our household still remember the person who drew it half-a-century back, while rest of the people around him have long been forgotten. On another  level, this memory-this recall could also be an artist’s legacy.

I believe, the most important thing for an artist would be to somehow connect with the world around him - like Van Gogh, Vermeer & so many others did- immerse in it & live the moment. And then express - if one feels like it - in one’s own way, without any inhibition or prejudice. That would be the true legacy of the artist - whether or not that is successful as art, would be for the critics & the public to decide. At the very least, it could be a simple memento for his/her family - a gift of love & hence equally valuable.

So when  I had been to an Art Camp in Delhi a couple of months back - I was not too concerned about making the right impression as an artist or developing useful contacts or doing all things rightly. Rather, I wanted to do the right things for myself & simply chose to live the moment.  I made a few friends - we discussed art & learnt a lot of things together… Two of those friends - Arpan Bhowmick & Gopal Roy are established painters - so our level of learning & accomplishments were quite different … But the point is - it didn’t matter. In the larger perspective of things - it is the moment that mattered & what did I make of it … What did I learn, what new things I tried or experienced - how did I progress or grew as an artist … because that is going to stay with me & in my memoirs.

In the same camp, I remember having made a watercolor sketch - more for fun & to make that special time with friends memorable … It was not for sale like the other artworks - It was a memento that I created for myself… I know when I look at it in future, it would bring back a lot of happy memories … & who knows, as I leave it behind - one day it could help someone else recall or remember something … & that would be my legacy.

Making a watercolor sketch at the Art Camp