Paper Carving workshop was conducted in the school by Mrs. Khanjan Maru Soni. It is an innovative art form that is done by peeling a layer of the paper with a blade. The paper is neither cut nor any hole is made in it. I had never heard of such an art form, so I tried to find about it on the internet. To my surprise there was not much information and that escalated my curiosity to know more about this art form.
On the first day of the workshop, I saw that along with me there were many students who were curious to learn this art skill. The artist Mrs. Khanjan Maru Soni was introduced to us and she briefed us about the seven elements of art – colour, form, line, shape, space, texture and value. Later a tool kit containing 600 gsm sheet, blade and gloves was given to everyone. I found the blade very different from what I have seen the other artists use. The paper was also not the regular one that we use in our daily life. I was even more excited to know how this art is going to be.
My eagerness to experience the new art form crept on even more when ma’am showed a few of her paper carving art work. It was very beautiful and exceptional. She directed us on how to carve and curve lines on the sheet. I tried my hand on it as guided and ended up making many mistakes. The paper had many potholes with my carving skills. Finally, I was able to peel the paper in the right form after numerous attempts.
Next day was even more interesting because she headed us to the next level and that was sketching and carving. She let us free, to pencil whatever we liked, but the most important thing that I liked was her statement when she told us to be honest with our art as it is a special way of expressing one’s feelings. Though it may seem simple to the people who have not tried it, but the truth is, it is a lot more difficult than we can imagine. I was happy to draw a simple flower as I did not want to take the risk of spoiling the paper again. Once I got a green single from ma’am for my sketch, I began to design it. She helped me where I was unable to peel the paper or hesitated to move ahead. My first art work, though it did not come out well, I still felt happy and proud of myself.
By the end of the workshop, I was able to carve many intricate designs with ease. I was amazed to know that such art existed in the world and also felt fortunate to have learnt it. Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan, the best school in Vizag gave us the opportunity to learn something different from our regular course. It was a ginormous experience of my life.