Living the dream of Art

The saying, "A dream is a wish your heart makes," goes well with the journey of this Hyderabad-based artist. Pavani Kotrike who hails from Kurnool and has been currently settled in the city for the past three years has been creating impressive portraits that look like a real photograph.

Pavani was always interested in drawing ever since her childhood. She shares, "During those days, I had no idea about the career options we had in drawing after which I thought of doing fashion designing. I had applied in NIFT and also got selected but due to financial problems, I had to drop out from NIFT.

I then went to do BSC but even then,I was very much interested in drawing and for my degree also I was searching ways to learn drawing.Through a lecturer, I got to know that we can do BFA and which does not cost much so I went to Yogi Vemana University in Kadapa but I didn't find anything helpful.

I have done TTC in drawing because I thought I could get posted as a government drawing teacher but even that was not useful. In 2015, I tied up with local gift galleries on commission basis where they used to showcase my portraits and when they get orders they used to contact me. I used to make the portraits and give it to them and they used to sell them for a price."

In 2018, Pavani shifted to Hyderabad after her marriage and she shares that her husband said her that the type of portraits that she made generally costs more.

She adds, "I recently joined Instagram. I used to post my previous art works on my page and then people used to text me asking if I can do it for them. After this, I started selling it for my own prices. I wanted to improve so I started following different artists. I used to also take their suggestions on how can I improve."

The turning point in her life was when she drew a combined portrait for a lady who reached her. She shares that the lady was pregnant when her husband passed away and he didn't get a chance to see the baby. She wanted a picture of her and her husband holding the baby.

Sharing about the same, Pavani says, "It was the first time for me to draw two combine pictures it was the turning point for me because there must be many families who lost their loved ones and many important events must be happening without them.

I have learned everything step by step like how should I pack so that it will reach them safely and how should it look so that I could get a good response and I have started reading their reviews."

The pandemic came with difficulties for Pavani like that for the rest. She shares, "My husband was not getting his complete salary due to the pandemic. We then thought that many of them are suffering and wanted to do something by raising some funds through these drawings.

I was able to raise an amount of Rs 25,000 through her drawing and donated the amount to the PMCARES funds. The pandemic was another turning point in my life."

Pavani feels for her, her home is better than a studio to do her art work as she dint wanted her passion for art look like a regular routine.

"I charge Rs 2500 for graphite pencil artwork for face and Rs 3500 for face colour. LipsikaBhasyam, Jahnavi( mahathalli ) who ordered and I met Samantha and Sai Kumar and recently I have started a series called musical legends so I did Janakamma design in that and I have reached her I am so happy and she really loved it she kept it at her home I have got the photos of it she said that everyone in her family loved the drawing after listening to that I felt really blessed.

After the PMCARES funds, I have started doing for Abhaya foundation. This time my aim is to achieve Rs 50,000 as Abhaya foundation is donating oxygen concentrators and they are also serving free food for covid patients so even we want to help them out," adds Pavani.

Pavani also runs a podcast 'Telugu Kathalu' where she narrates stories and one of her stories include how she met her husband. She has also started a series called 'Matrimonial Love'.