Rediscovering joy of childhood through her art
Letting her imagination run free: A selection of Bhagya’s whimsical illustrations
While studying for an architecture degree at the University of Moratuwa and then working as a professional architect, Bhagya Madanasinghe discovered a love for drawing. A few years later she made the switch from full-time architect to full-time illustrator, and now at the age of 29, is on her way to becoming a well-recognised children’s book illustrator.
Bhagya was signed up by Tugeau 2, a leading art and literary agency in the USA last December after they reached out to her through Instagram. She has already illustrated children’s books such as ‘When your Dragon is Too Big for a Bath’, ‘My Home is Burning’ and ‘Aiden and Gail visit Nonno and Nonna’ and is currently working on ‘Lucky Accidents’ by Anya Damiron collaborating closely with her through weekly Zoom meetings.
Looking at her illustrations it is hard to believe that Bhagya is self-taught. Born in Badulla, she spent her childhood there and studied at Badulla Vihara Maha Devi Girls’ School before gaining entry to the University of Moratuwa’s Faculty of Architecture. Graduating with a Bachelor’s in Architecture in 2017, she now holds associate membership as a Chartered Architect of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects.
Describing herself as a country girl who was close to her family, she says she was missing home and the life she left behind in Badulla and this led her to art.
“I missed being close to nature most of the time. Eventually, my love of drawings helped me find what I missed. I began to draw places that I could no longer visit in person.” While in university she began sketching caricatures. Fascinated by the various styles of illustrations, she was eventually drawn to the enchanting world of children’s books. “Once I found it, it felt like home for me.”
She discovered too that Instagram is home to a vibrant and warm community of artists and illustrators who are happy to share their thoughts and lend support to budding artists and illustrators. “I have made friends with people from India, Germany and so many other countries, and they are helpful and supportive of my work,” Bhagya says citing Beatrice Blue and Valentina Fontana as two of her main inspirations.
Bhagya with Luna
“I collaborate with brilliant authors from all over the world, and I am a part of this artistic community, which includes my agency. This allows me to touch the hearts of many kids in the world through my illustrations,” Bhagya says. When she does get some time off, she works on other illustration projects received through “Moving doodles”– her social media pages on Instagram and Facebook. These include caricatures, website designs, logo designs and other creations.
When Bhagya started out as an illustrator she had trouble drawing by hand as she never formally learned art as a subject. Drawing on a graphic tablet helped her to improve her technique, while she experimented with watercolour and coloured pencil drawings. Now she uses a sketchbook to pencil out her ideas, before working on the final project digitally.
Bhagya believes that her hobbies are what led her to find creative ideas. She loves to travel, explore, read, watch movies and listen to music and of course, hang out with close friends.
“Being an artist I always find time to be alone in my studio, make a hot cup of tea, and start scribbling in my sketchbook or on my Ipad. Even though I am not a bookish person when I am running out of ideas, I always find myself between the pages of a book, usually fiction, seeking imagination,” she says.
The process is ongoing. “Mostly I learned techniques from Youtube, such as how to use the Procreate app and its tools. I also went through some websites, and I’m still listening to podcasts and participating in live programmes on Instagram hosted by international artists, getting to know the industry and business of art,” she says.
Being an artist and a children’s illustrator has been an “incredible opportunity” to “rediscover” the child within her. She also feels that has chosen “one of the best jobs in the world” where she is free to be herself.
Bhagya’s name appears on Tugeau’s website alongside illustrators and authors from around the world. They produce not only children’s books, but also contribute towards games, toys, greeting cards, and e-books and apps for children. Working with an author requires sticking to a schedule and communicating with them through email, WhatsApp and Zoom, sharing ideas for the storyline, characters and other elements of a book and then working on a storyboard which plots out each scene from the book, Bhagya explains.
Time is still her biggest challenge every single day as she balances working on her illustrations and her architectural projects. Together with her Chartered Architect husband Jasenthu Liyana Nadun Devinda (they married in 2019) they run Jazen Architects which provides architectural consultancy services. Most evenings they take a break with their dog Luna enjoying the views from the terrace of their house in Colombo.
Her advice to budding young artists is simple: “As an artist, be yourself and do not compare yourself with others. There is an incredible artist community out there, so do not be afraid to reach out and stay connected. Most importantly, be original, even if you see flaws in your work. Do not pressure yourself to be like another artist. Create your own style; that’s the ultimate happiness of a true artist. I know the path is not smooth, and there are so many things to overcome, but once you love what you do, you are unstoppable.”
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