Uma Retharekar has her hands so full with creative talent that 24 hours are less to indulge it.
A creative mind, dexterous hands and the thirst to upgrade your knowledge. These are the qualities that have helped Koparkhairane resident Uma Retharekar to explore and expose her skills. The decorative items she makes will instantly add colour and beauty to a dull room. And, this assumes more relevance as the grandest of all festivals, Diwali, is here.
From floating, crystal and acrylic diyas to torans, jewellery boxes, wall hangings, kumkum chopdas and ready-made rangolis, the products Retharekar has made create a riot of colours, shapes and decorative patterns. And, to say the least, everything sells like hotcakes.
“When I had an exhibition during last Diwali, I was shocked that items worth Rs25,000 got sold in a single day. I had hardly anything left for friends who dropped in the next day,” she says with a surprised smile. So that they do not miss out on her goodies this year, many have called in advance to place orders.
Since her creative streak was dominant since childhood, mentally she never gets tired of indulging making something new. The idea of learning a new technique or style of art never fails to perk her up. “I joined a Hobby Ideas course two years ago and it made me knowledgeable about what new raw materials are made available in the market, how they can be used and for what purpose and plenty of techniques. Also, they periodically conduct art workshops which I never fail to attend,” she says enthusiastically. Most of the showpieces at her home are her works of art that she makes whenever she is in the mood.
There are many facets to her talent as a result of her urge to learn. Be it Egyptian coffee painting, Warli Madhubani and Kalankari painting, stitching and embroidery as well as fabric painting, pot and glass painting; she does it all and wants to do many more.
“It is my passion as I like to give a creative look to any item I lay my hands on. During Diwali, as I have orders for many things, sometimes I sit till 2am doing my work. However, it takes a toll on my health and so I cannot spend as much time as I would like to,” says the 55-year-old.
Retharekar has two grown-up daughters who help her as and when they can. Her husband, who is a marketing professional, constantly urges her to publicise her talent better.
“When we came here from Hyderabad, he compelled me to start drawing classes. What started with one student escalated to 40 in a year,” says Retharekar, admitting that she is a strict teacher who stresses on perfection of work done.
She spent about four months doing her current batch of Diwali decorative items, taking about 2-3 hours per day. Apart from having exhibition at home, she also gets bulk orders, the latest being an order for 25 ready-made rangoli sets from an acquaintance in the United States.
She shops in many places, including markets in Crawford, Malad, Bandra and even Pune, for her raw materials. Her products range from Rs75 to around Rs800 according to the amount of raw materials used and the efforts put in.
Retharekar is one example of the thought ‘creativity knows no bounds’ as she uses hers to produce many beautiful things.
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