New Delhi: What if Vincent van Gogh’s iconic ‘The Starry Night’ had a yellow sky instead of its swirling blues, or its familiar landscape gave way to a green grassland? At a sip-and-paint session in Aerocity Saturday, participants were encouraged to set aside the rules of art and give their own interpretations to the 19th-century masterpiece, one brushstroke at a time.From children painting alongside their parents to adults immersing themselves in colours, participants at The Times of India’s Let’s D-Stress session at Starbucks Reserve in Aerocity explored art as a way to unwind. With pre-drawn canvases, colour palettes and painting essentials laid out for them, they were free to experiment with colours and express themselves as visual artist Pavani Nagpal K Chhabra and her team moved around the room, offering guidance on brushstrokes and painting techniques.Participants soon became engrossed in their canvases, sipping coffee and enjoying snacks as they worked on their versions of the famous painting. The idea was not to reproduce the original, but to let imagination take over.For Nagpal, who led the workshop, art has been a source of freedom and happiness since childhood. “Since childhood, I always wanted to be an artist. I used to feel the most free, loved and happiest whenever I had a paintbrush in my hand.”Explaining how painting can help people de-stress, she said art offers a medium through which people can express feelings that may otherwise remain unspoken. “It is a mode of expression where everybody is free to express their inner feelings on a canvas, which helps them let it out. It is a medium where they can also set their imaginations free. It is a great exercise to engage in, pouring out emotions on the canvas and helping themselves de-stress or feel relieved.”Nagpal said the choice of painting was deliberate. While ‘The Starry Night’, painted in 1889, is among the most recognisable works in modern art, Van Gogh’s personal struggles and pursuit of art on his own terms resonated with the theme of the session.“Why we chose this painting for the de-stress event is because ‘The Starry Night’ is one of the most iconic paintings that everybody knows about. But throughout his life, Van Gogh couldn’t sell his work. He did not paint for anybody’s validation or to earn money; he just did it for his heart,” she said. “Art is something that comes from the heart, and one enjoys doing it. There is no math, no formula. Your sky could be any colour you want.”The session also saw young participants discovering their interest in painting. Four-year-old Zaira Sethia, who attended with her mother, now wants to become an artist when she grows up.Alongside the art workshop, attendees were introduced to Starbucks’ festive coffee range. They were also guided through the process of smelling and tasting coffee, exploring how its aromas and flavours can be experienced beyond simply drinking a cup.
