If Indian art and culture are of interest and you wish to add a traditional zing to your house, do check out paintyourlifestyle.com (PYF). The brainchild of Deepak Choudhary and Shital Parekh, both chartered accountants, Paint Your Lifestyle is an eco-friendly art and ambience concept promoted by Lifestyle Paintings Private Limited. The agency specialises in frescoes based on Indian culture and tradition, paintings including portraits, miniatures, tribal art and textures that can be recreated and designed on walls, ceilings, pillars or any other part of the house. “Neither of us are into art, but wanted to do something different. Then my uncle, who loves to draw, decided to add an artistic touch to a wet wall in his house. And the idea struck,” says Choudhary, co-founder. The duo decided to recreate frescoes and Indian art in homes.
While Rajasthan’s many palaces and havelis are the inspirations behind the frescoes, Jaisalmer and Gujarat rule in terms of the art that gets replicated on the walls. “Even though European frescoes are renowned, we stuck to Indian frescoes, as they are relatable and promote our history. Also, we do not have the expertise to develop and recreate the European art form,” says Choudhary.
Make your own
Clients choose the style and art. Their options range from relief work, contemporary art, textures and frescoes. However, the team at PYF also provides suggestions keeping in mind client taste, ambience, budget and what would look good in terms of art in their house. “A mixed effort works best,” says Choudhary.
PYF artwork doesn’t contain synthetic colours. They use eco-friendly, non-toxic, zero VOC natural colours and ingredients such as plants, plant extracts, flowers, root extracts, resins, clay, coal, mud, cow dung and minerals for all their frescoes and wall textures. “This isn’t new. The frescoes and textures that you see in the havelis and mahals use the same ingredients. That’s why they are durable and have lasted this long,” says Choudhary. A team of tribal artists, hired by PYF and specialised in the art form, then recreates the chosen design.
The team has already created 12-15 frescoes, mythological and spiritual designs on walls being most popular. Choudhary says that while there are many takers for wall textures, few go in for frescoes. “The average 10 ft by 10 ft fresco takes about two months to be completed. Not many people have that much time and patience with artists,” says Choudhary. Prices for textures from Rs 125 per sq ft to Rs 5,000 per sq ft. Frescoes fall somewhere in between, but their price is dependant on the complexity of the art involved.
The team has already created 12-15 frescoes, mythological and spiritual designs on walls being most popular. Choudhary says that while there are many takers for wall textures, few go in for frescoes. “The average 10 ft by 10 ft fresco takes about two months to be completed. Not many people have that much time and patience with artists,” says Choudhary. Prices for textures from Rs 125 per sq ft to Rs 5,000 per sq ft. Frescoes fall somewhere in between, but their price is dependant on the complexity of the art involved.