Oh, and mingle around
Art Jam participants show off their paintings
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Drawing stresses people out. We worry whether we drew a line actually or not. But with painting, you can just mix colours up and get going," says Snehal Patil.
An architect and self-taught artist, Patil is the founder of Bombay Drawing Room, which organises Art Jam sessions, where participants can let loose their fantasies on paper, and meet new people. It's like a party with brushes, is how Patil describes her "passion project".
Art Jam participants show off their paintings
The event has its origins in home parties that Patil threw for her friends. Last winter, she rounded up her friends one evening and introduced art supplies along with the usual party nibbles. Happy with the turnout that took place in her living room, the informal gatherings turned into Bombay Drawing Room.
Having hosted 20 sessions across restaurants in the city, Patil says, "Everybody has an opinion on most creative fields. But, when it comes to visual arts, people freeze up. With the Art Jam, it is less workshop and more a party where you can immerse in painting," she says.
A session in progress
Today, you can head to Todi Mill Social, for example, and paint on the summery theme of Sailing Away. Or, on May 15, drop by at Café Zoe to paint tulips. "While we provide a theme, and a prototype picture to paint, people are free to express themselves any way they like," says Patil. All you have to do is get into the flow, she adds. That's true, we suppose, whether you are painting or striking up a conversation with that person across the easel.