...A clay vessel, a big wooden bowl, a carved spoon with apples and lemons scattered across a traditional Turkmen camel-hair sachak (tablecloth)...This eclectic arrangement of old utensils and fruits was set up for 40 young artists in the atrium of the Museum of Fine Arts that turned into a children’s art studio.
The participating young artists had three hours to paint a still-life painting in watercolor.
Organized by the Ashgabat Department of Culture, the competition was open to students of four specialized schools in the capital: Byashim Nurali Children’s Art School, Children’s Art School No. 2, Children’s School of Fine Arts No. 6 and Children’s School of Fine Arts No. 7 with 10 entrants from each school.
Wasting no time, the children got down to creating the still life painting: first, drawing a pencil sketch, then adding dynamics, color, tones and volume with watercolors.They had a 3-hour time limit to complete their painting, and it was a race against time.
While for their teachers, who worried about their students, the three-hour wait seemed endless.
- I have high hopes for Perkhat Ashirmuradov, principal of Byashim Nurali Children’s Art School Guljamilya Amanova shared her expectations. He is a born artist, who has a keen eye for the emotional depth of art and is able to breathe life into every object.
- And I hope that Reykhan Atdaeva will win, Murat Khojaniyazov, an art teacher at Children’s School of Fine Arts No. 7, said, joining the conversation, she is technically skilled at watercolor painting.
Gulshirin Khajimuradova, a teacher at Children’s School of Fine Arts No. 6 placed her hopes on Kerven Khanov, the winner of a previous competition.
Principal of Children’s Art School No. 2 Kurbanmuhammed Saryev, who had been appointed to the post a few days before only, did not mention any names, but said that he would be delighted at the success achieved by any of his students.
Together with the teachers we walked around the atrium approaching every participant’s easel: some were completing their sketches, while others had already begun painting with watercolors.One of the girls, who had not drawn the bowl yet, started to paint the clay vessel, apparently, she did not manage to plan her time properly, or maybe, it was her creative idea...
By the way, before the competition started, all the young artists had attended a speed painting class.
At last, the three-hour time ran out. Director of the Museum of Fine Arts Saparmammed Meredov, who chaired a panel of judges, carefully examined the still-life paintings. The results of the competition caused no sensation. Student of Byashim Nurali Children’s Art School Perkhat Ashirmuradov was declared the winner.
Kerim Nuryev (Byashim Nurali Children’s Art School) and Aysoltan Garagocheva (Children’s School of Fine Arts No. 6) took second place. Third place was shared by three young artists. The rest of the contestants received participation prizes.
- Competitions, organized by the Museum of Fine Arts and the Academy of Arts, give rise to positive emotions in young artists, inspire them to develop their artistic skills and help them to explore their unfulfilled potential, Guljamilya Amanova said. And we are glad to offer our students this opportunity.
The young artists’ relatives and friends came to see their still-life paintings.Established artists evaluated their works, offering their comments and advice.A dialogue between generations of artists contributes importantly and effectively to the development of painting, its stylistic diversity, the continuity of the best traditions of national painting - highly distinctive and full of the spirit of innovation and experimentation.