RONO HILLS, 20 Sep: The Artists' Guild of Arunachal (AGA), in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi University's (RGU) fine arts and music department, conducted a two-day plein air (outdoor) painting workshop on 18 and 19 September.
The workshop introduced students to the fundamentals of landscape painting through watercolour demonstrations, discussions and direct observation.
The programme began with an introductory interaction between AGA members and fine arts students. The participants were divided into three groups, each guided by an AGA mentor. The session covered the fundamentals of composition, preliminary drawing, pictorial planning and colour theory, followed by a practical demonstration of watercolour painting.
In the afternoon, a presentation titled 'Landscape as Practice' explored the five ws - what, why, where, when and which - in relation to landscape as a contemporary artistic practice.
Through examples of historical and contemporary artists, as well as a photographer, the presentation examined diverse approaches to landscape and its conceptual possibilities. Students from all semesters actively participated in the interactive session, which was also supported by faculty members of the department.
On the second day, watercolour sheets were distributed to the participants before the start of a five-hour plein air painting session. Working directly from observation, the students received technical and conceptual guidance from AGA members. The mentors also produced their own plein air studies alongside the students, fostering an environment of shared learning and artistic practice.
During the second half of the day, paintings by the students and mentors were displayed in the department. The display was followed by an interactive discussion, during which students presented their works and reflected on their experiences, artistic choices and learning from the workshop.
The AGA is a recently established collective, primarily comprising alumni of RGU's fine arts department. Its members include Punyo Chobin, the first indigenous academic from Arunachal Pradesh in higher education; Ejum Riba, who holds an MFA from the University of Hyderabad; Ligang August, an MFA from Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan; Marba Kamki, an MFA from Manipur University; Nabam Charchang, an MFA from Tripura University; Tana Tallam, a graduate of Dera Natung Government College and a BFA in sculpture from RGU; and Tatu Mara, a DNGC graduate and a BFA from RGU. The collective also includes other RGU alumni trained in painting and sculpture.
The workshop sought to strengthen practical engagement with landscape painting while encouraging dialogue, observation and knowledge-sharing between practising artists and students.
