Payal Oil & Glass Painting Classes

Up on the first floor here in Shanthi Nagar, things usually smell a bit like linseed oil and turpentine. We are right near the church, so it’s easy to spot the building. We’ve got tables set up with brushes and palettes everywhere. It’s not a huge space, but it fits everyone fine. People come in, find a spot, and get to work on their glass or canvas. It’s quiet most of the time, except for the scraping of palette knives or someone asking where the yellow ochre went. We don’t have a fancy reception desk or anything. You just walk up the stairs and you’re in the middle of it. Some students have been coming for years, while others just want to try it out for a weekend. It gets a bit crowded on Saturday mornings, but we manage. There’s always a jar of water or a rag within reach. We spend a lot of time cleaning up spills and making sure the brushes don't dry out. It’s messy work, but that’s just how painting goes. The light is pretty good in the afternoons. No one here is trying to be a world-famous artist; we just like making things. If the paint gets on your clothes, well, that's part of the process. We’ve been at 6/A for quite some time now. It’s a comfortable place to sit and draw. We just keep the classes running and help out whenever someone gets stuck on a detail.