Featured artist: Tushar Sabale
The Green Cafe, Victoria, 9x12in, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Tushar Sabale is an Indian-born, London-based, award-winning artist whose work bridges Impressionism and Realism with Luminist influences. Born in India, his artistic journey began in childhood, nurtured by rural landscapes and early mentorship.
The Opening of Tower Bridge, 30x40cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: As a member of The Wapping Group of Artists, Chelsea Art Society, British Plein Air Painters, and a co-founder of London Plein Air Painters, how have these affiliations influenced your work and approach to painting on location?
Being a member of a society or a group is a good way to be surrounded by like-minded artists with whom you can paint regularly and have group shows and meaningful artistic conversations. Each of these groups has certain ethoses which resonate with me. The members of the Wapping Group paint every Wednesday throughout the year, which helps me have good discipline in going out and painting, whatever the weather. London Plein Air Painters is a growing community of artists. It helps to create various opportunities for artists to paint in the city and learn from each other. On the other hand, the Chelsea Art Society is one of the oldest societies that bring artists together. They work in various art forms and have a great camaraderie, as seen in their annual shows. The standard of the work is generally so high that you are continuously inspired to keep producing your best.
Rainy Day, Pall Mall East, 30x40cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: With a background in architecture and product design, how do you think your training influences how you observe and capture space, light, and structure when painting en plein air?
Having studied architecture, I am naturally drawn to buildings. I love painting cityscapes, and London has some of the greatest streets and buildings to paint. Architecture knowledge has helped me understand drawing, space, perspective, scale, and proportions. Knowing a structure’s architectural history helps me emphasise important nuances and features in my works that define a particular period. My years of working as a product designer have given me a greater understanding of materials, light, colour, and form, which assists me immensely when painting any street furniture, lamps, buses, or taxis in my cityscapes.
St. James Street, 30x40cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: With four upcoming shows this year, how do you balance preparing new work, staying creatively inspired, and meeting the demands of each exhibition?
Being part of various societies and groups, I have several annual shows for which I build up my work throughout the year. There are also various open calls, and other group shows that I would like to be part of, as well as send some works to the galleries that represent me. So, one has to produce new works to meet these demands continuously. I consistently seek newness and try out different methods and subjects to paint. I love visiting galleries, exploring new places for different experiences and investing in creative interactions with fellow artists to keep me inspired. While preparing for exhibitions is quite laborious and taxing, it is one of the best ways to showcase your works and make sales.
Drying Shelves in the Studio, 20x20cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: How do you approach the contrast between the stillness of still life and the ever-changing movement of life when painting plein air? Does the dynamic nature of outdoor scenes influence your technique or creative process differently?
I am primarily a landscape painter, with cityscapes being my favorite subject. But I occasionally do paint objects and interiors from life. Plein air painting poses various challenges of changing weather conditions that can influence and limit the choice of a subject. Painting outdoors can be unpredictable, resulting in spontaneity and excitement. On the contrary, painting still life in the interiors removes outdoor discomfort. It can offer longer sessions to paint with a controlled approach, knowing the result beforehand. However, with my years of experience understanding the benefits and shortcomings of both environments, I can now make many informed decisions to benefit from both processes.
Artist Studio, Open Drawer, 20x20cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: Last year, you received the remarkable recognition of the Distinguished Alumni Award by your Alma Mater, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur. How has your education shaped your artistic path, and what does this award mean to you in terms of your personal and professional growth?
I studied architecture, followed by a master’s degree in product design from the top institutes in India. The highest scores on the entrance exams secured me full scholarships. As a student, it is an overwhelming experience to be part of such reputable institutes where one is always in self-doubt as a growing teenager. So, years later, being recognised as a ‘Distinguished Alumni’ by the very same institute is extremely reassuring. It is like life has come full circle. The foundation laid by these degrees I pursued there has given me a holistic understanding of art, guiding me in many aspects, directly and indirectly, at every step of my career.
Lego Friends, 30x40cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: You transitioned from a portrait painter to plein air early in your career. Tell us about this and how the lockdown played a role.
When I began painting more than a decade ago, I believed commissions would be the only way to make this career sustainable, so I took many portrait commissions to get the ball rolling. A few years back, my art guru, who is 86 years old and who continues to be my mentor, advised me to paint landscapes. As an individual who always seeks challenges, I initially thought landscapes wouldn’t be challenging enough for me, so with some hesitation, I started exploring the subject at his request. I surprisingly found it very difficult and wanted to learn more. When lockdown happened, and everyone was asked to stay indoors, a little rebel in me wanted to go out and paint. So, when the rules were relaxed, I enjoyed getting lost in the nearby woods and started painting plein air, which was the best way to explore and learn landscape painting. The bug was then bitten, and I have not looked back since.
Rainy Day, South Kensington, 12x9in, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: Do you prefer to finish your plein air paintings on-site, capturing the moment in real-time, or bring them back to the studio to refine and complete them? What factors influence your decision?
Most of my plein air paintings are done alla prima, meaning painted wet on wet in a single session. They range from smaller studies to fully finished paintings. With only so much time to capture the moment before the light changes, one is limited to painting on smaller to medium-sized boards when painting alla prima. I would rarely refine them in the studio unless they get damaged in transport or were left unfinished due to a sudden change in the weather conditions. Occasionally, I do use these studies to scale them up into bigger pieces, which otherwise would be a challenge to finish on-site.
Anniversary Roses in the Window, 20x20cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: Having painted plein air in India and the UK, how do the different environments, light, and cultural landscapes influence your approach to capturing scenes outdoors? Are there distinct challenges or inspirations you encounter in each location?
India and the UK are located geographically on different belts and very different culturally. Weather conditions and seasons differ quite a lot as well. While the UK weather is known for its unpredictability, where you can have four seasons in a day, India has strict quarterly seasons. This can offer a plein air painter and longer painting sessions in India as a day is almost guaranteed to remain the same for the entire season. It thus results in an opportunity for an artist to paint bigger on-site as the same painting can be painted on a series of days. Weather dictates the intensity of light and colour in nature and, therefore, could tend to appear very saturated in tropical places like India. A rural and urban landscape in both countries could differ significantly, and cultural influences could offer variety in choosing a range of subjects to paint, often resulting in compositions and representations that are unique to the place.
Studio Easel and The Chest of Drawers, 20x20cm, oil on Ampersand Gessobord
Q: How did you discover Ampersand, and what do you love most about Gessobord for your work?
I was first introduced to Ampersand some 7 years ago when looking for alternative surfaces to paint on. I had seen one of the artists on Instagram use Ampersand products and thought of trying it out. From the whole range of products, I picked Gessobord and instantly fell in love with it. I absolutely enjoy painting on the soft and smooth texture that lets my brush glide on the surface. The fact that they come primed saves a lot of trouble when preparing them in the studio, making them instantly ready to use as soon as they are unpacked. Through the years, I have tried small and medium-sized. I am now prepared to explore the bigger sizes as well.
Artist Bio:
Tushar Sabale is an award-winning Indian-born British artist based in London. Raised in the Indian suburbs among lush farms and vineyards, he learned art under his guru, Girish Sahadeo, while also developing his skills independently. His talent emerged early, inspired by summers at his grandparents’ countryside home, where he captured the rustic landscapes through drawing and sketching.
At just 12, he won a National Award in a competition with a million participants. The year before, he was among the top two winners in a similar national competition. His success continued with numerous state, national, and international awards. Pursuing his passion, he studied Architecture before earning a master’s in Product Design from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
Tushar primarily paints from life and plein air in oils, transitioning from portraits to landscapes. His style blends Impressionism and Realism with Luminist elements. After years as a weekend painter, he now paints full-time and recently won ‘The Rosemary Brushes Award’ at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. To see more of Tushar's work, visit his website, Instagram, and Facebook.
