A group of students used their free time after their final exams to transform a nondescript wall of their canteen into a canvas.
Ten students of Indus Valley World School have painted the wall of their canteen with Madhubani art.
It took a week to transform the wall into a pleasing space and it has won them appreciation from other schoolmates and teachers.
It was not easy to paint an 8ft-high and 18ft-long wall and a pillar next to it. The children stood on tables and sometimes on a ladder to reach the farthest point of the wall.
The job was done by art students who said it was one thing to colour on paper and another to use a wall as their canvas.
Class X student Roma Paul said she learnt about dimensions while working on a canvas of that size.
“Unlike on paper, you cannot keep rubbing off a wall,” she said.
There is also a difference in how the painters place their hands.
A student spoke of the need for more balance because “on a wall, you cannot put pressure on your hand because then the painting beneath gets spoilt”.
Samragee Paul said they used plastic emulsion, which is thicker in texture.
“For us, detailing was difficult with thick paint because we are used to thinner ones. It was a learning experience,” she said.
The school floated the idea after the final exams were over.
“The students learnt more about art and the richness of the Indian art forms through projects like these. We cannot teach that in a classroom,” said Amita Prasad, director of the school.
A teacher said such projects also give students a sense of ownership of the school space.
Some of the children said they were keen to paint more walls on the campus and to try different art forms.
“What can be more inspiring for us?” the teacher said.