What you see - Arti Jain, an artist, resides in Rana Pratap Bagh in Delhi. It is from her abode that she runs her painting classes. Her artwork graces the walls of the house on the second floor. The five feet tall Mughal Darwaza, just across the main entrance leaves us speechless. Jewelry painted Ganeshji and a Pooja thali in marble give credence to her creative capabilities.

What you get – Arti Jain is a known artist who not only teaches oil paintings but also sells them on a commercial basis. The painting classes are held in a separate room. There are beautiful oil paintings with village scenes and relief painting made with the use of Plaster of Paris that can you browse through and choose to learn.

We see many semi-finished Tanjore paintings in the room; perhaps an indication of what’s popular in terms of learning here. Tanjore with Krishan-Radha, Salasarji and Bihariji seem to be the favorite choices. The prices for the painting classes depend on the size of the canvas or board, the kind of detailing etc. So you can learn a simple oil painting for Rs. 2,000 or even pay up to Rs 80,000 for a Tanjore one.

Jewelry paintings on marble objects are also taught by the artist here. You can buy a marble statue, a pooja thali or other items and decorate and paint with enamel and kundan. The Ganesha idol we spotted earlier was for Rs. 10,000. Students have the option to buy the idol from the artist herself or bring their own. Smaller marble items like pooja thali are relatively cheaper and come for Rs. 1,000 and more.

Arti Jain also used to teach the art of jharokha making but discontinued due to paucity of space. But you could choose from other art forms like ceramic painting, collage making, bread craft, flower making, photo frame painting, porcelain painting, marble painting and decorating a vase too.

Our verdict - Arti Jain has become a popular name in North Delhi. The prices are reasonable and the art lessons are interesting. There are separate timings for the classes here. So please call the artist before visiting. Parking space is available.

By Priyanka Gupta