The City hood:
Subhash Babu was awe-struck by the spectacle of the buzz in the magnificent buildings touching the sky. He was stunned by the sight of splendor amid squalor. It was a medley of feelings experiences which he could unravel only with the passage of time. The time during 1963 to 1968 proved very productive for him as a student of art. He learnt the finer nuances of the art of painting with great dedication and diligence. He studied the seemingly enigmatic aspects of painting with utmost passion and perseverance. To the mad lines which he drew till that day, he added systematic science.
By the time he came to the city he was just 17 years aged. Sure enough, he was not the first of those who came down to win over Hyderabad all alone. Except Telugu, he did not know any other language. He knew neither English, Hindi nor Urdu. Initially, he was seized by an entire lot of problems - like Mini Rickshaws, Irani Tea and bread are but a few among them. Slowly, things started changing and the city took him into its fold. The contrasting pictures of the cityscape - ancient mansions and poverty of people which puzzled him once, had slowly started sinking in. He began to love the city.
Subash Babu recalls: "During the days of study, it was revered Vasudevakapatral who kindled the keen interest in me about 'line' and that has been useful for me even today. K.K. Hebbar who was chairman of Central Lalitha Kala Academy used to visit Vidyabhushanji frequently. I and Narappa used to copy Ajanta paintings in egg tempera medium in the evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Vidyabhushanji used to pay us a remuneration of Rs.1007- per month. In 1965 on the recommendation of Vidyabhushan, a reward of Rs.1007- presented by Nawab Mehdi Nawab Jung (Education Minister in the Court of Seventh Nizam) was a matter of great joy for us. We were elated as if we got a treasure-trove. Hebbarji taught us many tips about the line. I learned only from him the knack of drawing figures in simple lines.
Although he had come to terms with the city, the beauty of the rural side still lingered in his fond memories. The lovely sight of the villages kept leaping out again and again from the hidden corners in his mindscape. The images included herds of cattle and sheep grazing in the fields, farmers carrying ploughs over the shoulders and womenfolk carrying lunchboxes over the heads. He wondered how contrasting a picture the city offered. Congested lanes... Beggars all over with hungry looks... Street-urchins begging for alms.... They constituted now the objects of his painting. He used to go to the town and watch all the movies in the theatres around right from the morning till night. Of course, he could not miss a film with NTR as hero for anything. If there was a new film, he had to watch it the very first day it was exhibited.
The A. P. Lalita Kala Academy encouraged the artists by granting scholarships for their higher studies. For a period of two years the academy granted Rs.250/- per month for his higher studies at the Baroda M.S. University. He underwent training in murals under Prof. K.G. Subrahmanyam. He began to experiment in Jaipur Fresco, Italian Fresco sand casting, Terracota pictures alongside making masks of bamboo pieces. He picked up the threads of the lino cut and woodcut drawings with the inspiration from Lakshma Goud's works to a large extent. He was offered job and married his maternal uncle's daughter Hemalatha.The year 1970 was significant for him because the A.P Lalita Kala Academy honored him with an award for his 'Self Portrait' in water colours. All those heartening events happened one after the other as if ordained by some divine force and filled him with great elation.
Subhash Babu was awe-struck by the spectacle of the buzz in the magnificent buildings touching the sky. He was stunned by the sight of splendor amid squalor. It was a medley of feelings experiences which he could unravel only with the passage of time. The time during 1963 to 1968 proved very productive for him as a student of art. He learnt the finer nuances of the art of painting with great dedication and diligence. He studied the seemingly enigmatic aspects of painting with utmost passion and perseverance. To the mad lines which he drew till that day, he added systematic science.
By the time he came to the city he was just 17 years aged. Sure enough, he was not the first of those who came down to win over Hyderabad all alone. Except Telugu, he did not know any other language. He knew neither English, Hindi nor Urdu. Initially, he was seized by an entire lot of problems - like Mini Rickshaws, Irani Tea and bread are but a few among them. Slowly, things started changing and the city took him into its fold. The contrasting pictures of the cityscape - ancient mansions and poverty of people which puzzled him once, had slowly started sinking in. He began to love the city.
Subash Babu recalls: "During the days of study, it was revered Vasudevakapatral who kindled the keen interest in me about 'line' and that has been useful for me even today. K.K. Hebbar who was chairman of Central Lalitha Kala Academy used to visit Vidyabhushanji frequently. I and Narappa used to copy Ajanta paintings in egg tempera medium in the evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Vidyabhushanji used to pay us a remuneration of Rs.1007- per month. In 1965 on the recommendation of Vidyabhushan, a reward of Rs.1007- presented by Nawab Mehdi Nawab Jung (Education Minister in the Court of Seventh Nizam) was a matter of great joy for us. We were elated as if we got a treasure-trove. Hebbarji taught us many tips about the line. I learned only from him the knack of drawing figures in simple lines.
Although he had come to terms with the city, the beauty of the rural side still lingered in his fond memories. The lovely sight of the villages kept leaping out again and again from the hidden corners in his mindscape. The images included herds of cattle and sheep grazing in the fields, farmers carrying ploughs over the shoulders and womenfolk carrying lunchboxes over the heads. He wondered how contrasting a picture the city offered. Congested lanes... Beggars all over with hungry looks... Street-urchins begging for alms.... They constituted now the objects of his painting. He used to go to the town and watch all the movies in the theatres around right from the morning till night. Of course, he could not miss a film with NTR as hero for anything. If there was a new film, he had to watch it the very first day it was exhibited.
The A. P. Lalita Kala Academy encouraged the artists by granting scholarships for their higher studies. For a period of two years the academy granted Rs.250/- per month for his higher studies at the Baroda M.S. University. He underwent training in murals under Prof. K.G. Subrahmanyam. He began to experiment in Jaipur Fresco, Italian Fresco sand casting, Terracota pictures alongside making masks of bamboo pieces. He picked up the threads of the lino cut and woodcut drawings with the inspiration from Lakshma Goud's works to a large extent. He was offered job and married his maternal uncle's daughter Hemalatha.The year 1970 was significant for him because the A.P Lalita Kala Academy honored him with an award for his 'Self Portrait' in water colours. All those heartening events happened one after the other as if ordained by some divine force and filled him with great elation.
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