Srirangam Mohankumar RI RSMA

Statement

From his childhood in India to his maturity in England, Kumar has had a fascination and possibly an obsession with drawing and painting. He feels the need whether at home or abroad to take every opportunity to go outside and capture images, seascapes, landscapes and urban scenes which offer a never-ending source of inspiration. The fleeting nature of light outside demands a directness of application and as a result his studies have to be completed in minutes rather than hours. Every moment of observation and execution is a learning process.

His specialisation has been in watercolour painting. In this area he shows an instinctive mastery of skill and economy which was soon recognised, appreciated and rewarded in the academic world. Kumar uses a direct technique which has been compared to that of Winslow Homer. His choice of subject matter is varied and includes the international locations in which he has observed light, colour and movement. 

Back in his studio he uses sketches to complete imaginative and progressive compositions and endeavours to retain the immediacy of direct study. 

He has exhibited in various UK galleries and his reputation as a leading watercolourist is now well established. Over the years he has been inspired by painters of the past, notably John Singer Sargent, Edward Seago, Joaquin Sorolla, Issac Levitan and John Yardley.

He is a member of the Federation of British Artists, the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA), the East Anglian Group of Marine Artists (EAGMA) and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI). His paintings have been recognised as worthy of prizes and awards from various bodies which include the following:

• The Charles Pears Award by the Royal Society of Marine Artists

• The Classic Boat Prize by the Royal Society of Marine Artists

• The Marine Quarterly “Sea from Seaward” Prize by the Royal Society of Marine Artists

• Featured in the special exhibition, Winners: Award Winning Artists 2020-2022 at Mall Galleries, selected by Anthony J Lester

• Artists of the Year (Artists & Illustrators Magazine)

• 100th President of Lytham Art Society and subsequently made Patron

• His work is found in private and corporate collections around the world including the Baltic Exchange

• Tutor at Dedham Hall annual residential painting course

• Kumar through his sales supports a number of charities which include Feet First, Northwest Air Ambulance, Sick Children, Great Ormond Street and Lytham St Annes RNLI.