Sketches in the sand

CAUTION: GRAPHIC IMAGES

Norman Tagore Fernandes, Charcoal drawing (2015)

-Brian Mendonca

To listen to Norman speak is to question your certainties about life. I mean, how cool is it to live on a beach and sketch in the sand? 

But Norman Tagore Fernandes (b. 1981) makes it all look so simple. His studio in Arambol in the tip of North Goa pulsates with energy. For here is where Norman gives breath to his figures. Models pose for him and he draws them with his lines. 'I believe in eloquence,' he says. 'Minimum effort for maximum effect.'

Norman Fernandes, Line drawing (2021)

His current works are line drawings and acrylic on canvas. The themes are of human figures, and the unclothed female body in various poses, the curves bringing out the beauty of form. 

He is presently working on a pastoral depiction of Radha and Krishna. Earlier, Norman did pop art, street art, and lithographs. 

Picasso inspires him. He had the opportunity to see M.F. Husain (1915-2011) work in a matter of minutes to create a canvas which hugely inspired him. He mentions the work of Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009). He counts the British figurative painter Lucian Freud (1922-2011) as one of his influences.

Norman ideates a sketch club where people come in and sketch. 'The usual time for a sketch is 5 minutes. Sometimes people ask for more time. That's how people are,' - he says.

Though Norman does a sketch in minutes, it in no way undervalues his art since it has taken a lifetime to be able to accomplish this. People seldom understand this. 'The more you practise the better you become,' he feels.

Norman takes a 45% position when sketching a model. Sometimes the model moves so much it is difficult to do the work, he shares.

Michaelangelo, 'Study of kneeling woman' (1500)

Hearkening back to the Italian Renaissance masters like Michaelangelo (1475-1564) - who studied the anatomy of the human form to better animate their painting - Norman finds the sketching of a live model integral to his art. 

He suggested to the state of Goa to have a studio for sketching human figures but the powers that be opted for a graphics studio instead. 

So he decided to go it alone.

He is unwavering about his art and is deeply committed. When asked whether there is a risk of involvement with a model, he candidly admits, 'When you take that path, you cannot work.'

It is perhaps no coincidence that I am currently reading the fictionalized life of the Goan painter Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002). 

As Jeet Thayil unflinchingly recalls the exploits of the 'Bombay Progressive Autists' [sic] group he sketches the manic life of a trailblazer in his time.* Of course there are also the gentle giants like Ram Kumar (1924-2018) of Delhi who writes short stories as well.

Norman is a fighter, and will take on what life throws at him. He has recently bounced back from COVID. 

Norman loves swimming. Swimming invigorates him. He returns from his swim and sketches in the sand. He does this over and over again to refine his art. It is a heady mix.

Asked about what he would like to do next, Norman replies thoughtfully, 'I would like to do some photography. I know it will not be like the usual kind of photographs.'

View more of Norman's works at normantagore(dot)blogspot.com

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Inspired by participating in an online meet featuring the artist titled 'The Artist Acquaintances Project,' curated by Daegal Godinho on 30th May 2021; courtesy carpediemgoa(dot)com. Artwork courtesy, Norman Tagore Fernandes; pic of  'Study of kneeling woman' by Michaelangelo, courtesy The Louvre. *The Book of Chocolate Saints (Aleph, 2017).Updated 12 June 2021.