Kaleidascope of Brush Strokes

“Kaleidoscope of brush strokes”, is an exhibition of paintings that will mark the debut of self-taught artist, Saro Jay, exhibitng her works for the very first time in her home country of Sri Lanka.

Saro Jay’s journey as an artist spans over 25 years, however, despite her undeniable passion for art, her start was less than conventional.

Saro’s passion for art was ignited as a child by two of her aunts; one gifting Saro with her first box of watercolours at the age of five, and the other aunt, Rose, who was an inspiration as a self-taught artist. A pivotal moment for both aunt and niece occurred when Saro witnessed her aunt Rose presenting a painting she had completed of the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter, Indira Gandhi during her visit to Sri Lanka several years ago.

However, despite receiving considerable inspiration and encouragement from her aunts, Saro was initially compelled to follow a different path as a young woman. Due to the unavailability of Art as a subject at school, she instead pursued Mathematics and Physics at the University of Colombo, becoming a programmer instead.

However, years later she would later decide to return to her passion once more. The opportunity arose when she began to work part-time following the birth of her son. She used this time to develop her interest further and explore the wide variety of artistic avenues available to her.

“Kaleidoscope of brush strokes” expertly illustrates the diversity of the since retired, Saro Jay’s works. While she favours acrylic paints when creating her pieces, she’s equally skilled in bringing blank canvases to vibrant life with the use of water colours, oil paints, meticulously detailed paper collages and portraits completed in pen.

The subjects of Saro’s paintings are similarly varied. However, perhaps most prevalent are select works clearly reflecting the influence of her two homes, Sri Lanka and Britain. These include abstract pieces illustrating flowers and portraits of wildlife found in Sri Lanka as well as collages crafted depicting attractions such as the London Eye.

While the upcoming exhibit is the first of her own in Sri Lanka, Saro is no stranger to having her work exhibited. She has displayed her work in local exhibitions in the city of Buckinghamshire where she currently resides, including a notable occasion where one of her paintings was exhibited in the prestigious Llewelyn Alexander Gallery in London.

The latest step in Saro’s journey will be exhibiting a total of 130 pieces which will also be available for sale at the Lionel Wendt Art Centre on February 15 and 16 from 9.30 a.m to 8.30 p.m.