A close brush with nature

CHENNAI: An artist has created ‘scientific drawings’ of birds, wild animals, and orchids that are endemic to the Western Ghats to document the diversity of native species and to highlight the importance of living in harmony with nature.
R Suresh, who works as an artist in the Botanical Survey of India in Coimbatore, run by the Union ministry of environment, has drawn 30 birds, 18 wild animals, and 118 orchids from the Western Ghats as well as several other endemic Indian species outside.
“This is not a creative work. It’s also not to show off artistic finesse. This is a researched scientific work to create awareness about the conservation of nature,” says the 59-year-old.
Suresh says he has ensured his drawings are replicas of animals. “The drawings depict the exact image of the real animal. Every intricate detail such as the colour of the body, fur, feathers and shape has been taken into account. ” Every stroke is measured to keep the shape of the animal intact.
“When a scientist identifies a species from my work, I consider that as my success,” says Suresh, who hasworked as an artist for more than three decades.
“I survived a heart attack in 2018. That was when I decided I wanted my work to make a difference. My work experience came in handy and I sat down to create my scientific drawings. ”
Over the past five years, Suresh has dedicated his non-working hours to painting, encouraged by his family. He plans to display the paintings soon.
Among the birds of the Western Ghats, Suresh has drawn the Nilgiri chilappan, Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar grey hornbill, grey-headed bulbul, rufous babbler, Nilgiri flowerpecker and great hornbill. He has also drawn the Indian giant squirrel, brown palm civet, Nilgiri long-tailed tree mouse, chevrotain, bare-bellied hedgehog, and other wild animals. In the orchid species, the artist has recreated Aenhenrya rotundifolia, Brachycorythis iantha, Bulbophyllum elegantulum and Coelogyne mossiae.