One love inspired by one teacher
Seven ladies, from different age groups and different disciplines and professions share one thing in common- their passion to paint. 
They met at Lathifa Ismail’s adult painting class at her residence in Pamankada and immediately bonded. They are now ready for their first art exhibition as a group. “Myriad Hues” will take place at the J.D.A. Perera Gallery on Horton Place on June 14 and 15.
Mrs. Ismail has been an art teacher for the past 50 years. At 82 years, her sole happiness in life is teaching she says. She conducts lessons every day of the week in the afternoons and her oldest student is in her fifties now. “I’m not a professional 
artist. I’m only a teacher. I only give the confidence my students need. The talent is entirely theirs,” says this unassuming lady, who did her higher studies in art at the London University.
Hana Niyaz says that she only found out thatshe had a talent for art when she was in her last few years of school. “After I returned from my higher studies, I was travelling around the country and I thought I should start painting again. I started with water colours and now I have moved to acrylic and oils and even mixed media. I love painting buildings. I also like to paint bright illuminated things like lamps. My paintings have a lot of yellow and blue mostly because of the illumination effect,” she says.
“It was my grandmother who was an artist herself who inspired me to paint. I stopped painting during my studies but later, when I had my two children I noticed how well my son draws and I found Aunty’s (Mrs. Ismail) class and put him in. Later Aunty asked me to join 
the adult class –I wish I hadn’t stopped painting all those years back,” says Suchita Khisty. Originally from India she has been in the country for eight years as her husband works here. Qualified in Human Resources Management and Microbiology, she is now a housewife and a painter. She loves bright colours and gets her inspiration from nature.
“I joined Aunty Lathifa because my aunt was a student and I just accompanied her,” says Nikkita de Zoysa, the newest member of the group. This is her first exhibition. She is currently working with acrylics and says she can’t wait to start on oils next 
year. Nikkita paints abstracts and landscapes.
Almost all the paintings in the exhibition of Lord Buddha are by Nang Loung Hom also known among her friends as Angela. Angela is from Myanmar and her preferred media is oils. “I want to focus my paintings of the Buddha as an ordinary human being with extraordinary qualities which symbolize peace, serenity and wisdom,” she says.
“I have been into painting for less than three years with Mrs. Ismail. I have no formal education in painting. My love for art stemmed from countless hours I spent in organizing and participating in group art exhibitions for my son and his art class,” she says. Besides painting, she is studying Conflict Transformation and Peace building, and working as a trainer in the latter field.
Art has always been a hobby for Eishani Rasakulendran and she she says loves it better than dancing- she’s a trained Bharatha Natyam dancer. Eishani favours still life and portraits and uses oil and water colours.
Tehani Wijeratne joined Mrs. Ismail’s class when she was 10. She gave up when doing her higher studies and got back to painting only when her children finished their studies. “Aunty gives us the freedom to do what we want. She supports and helps us all the way. This place also has the right atmosphere needed to paint and we usually can’t wait to come for her class,” Tehani says. Her strength is drawing still life but she wants to draw figures and portraits as well. “I love to paint using oils because it’s an obedient medium. I like to stick to Sri Lankan themes,” she says.
Anoma Fernando, a teacher of English and music says her two passions in life are painting and music. She loves to paint landscapes and flowers and take photographs of landscapes which she later comes home and paints.
The exhibition of their work will be open to the public on Saturday June 14th from 12 noon till 8 p.m. and on the 15th from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m.