A brush matters the most, art students told

Mehak Jain
LUDHIANA: As he wields the brush at Khalsa College for Women, it is easy to mistake 73-year-old Jazlurddin or Baba as he is called, for a passionate artist on the brink of a masterpiece. He would have been, had he been able to afford formal training in art. Since that did not happen, he decided to be mentor to those who aspired for an artistic career.That's what brought him to Khalsa College for Women, where he told young artists how to choose their most valuable assistant, the brush.
He displayed more than 59 kinds of brushes besides handmade diaries, paper, pencil colours, poster colours, water colours and brush bags - all being sold at a reasonable price. However, the brushes stole the show.
Simar Puri, a student of fine arts said, "This is an awesome collection of brushes. They are not found easily in Ludhiana. Moreover, Baba guided us as to which brush was to be used with which colour."
The different varieties of brushes on display include round, pointed round, sash, flat, bright, filbert, angular flat, fan, detailed round and liners.
Jazlurddin started out by displaying his brushes in the fine arts department of Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. He has not looked back since, deriving satisfaction in helping others bring their canvases to life.
But his unrequited love for art still hurts. "The government must set up institutes for amateur artists. Officials should try to give needy artists the best of resources," he said.