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Old Master M. K. KelkarWatercolour artist Shri. M. K. Kelkar is a disciple of famous artist Late Shri. S. L. Haldankar. He studied watercolour painting and its specialities under the guidance of Late Shri. S. L. Haldankar for five years.

Throughout his life he promoted watercolour painting style. Watercolour plays important part in his paintings. He has painted almost all the subjects in watercolour. He is honoured by Art Society of India, Mumbai and All India Fine Art Society, Delhi for his contribution towards promotion of Art.

He has travelled entire India from Leh to Nathula and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and far east, Middle East and West. He has also attracted by human characters of different places and tried to portray them from list in their colourful individual costumes whenever he got a chance to do so in his wanderings.

Born in 1916 at Yeotmal, Maharashtra, India. He inherited his liking for drawing, painting and crafts of all varieties from his father. In school days he was awarded a prize by the Drawing examination Board for Nature Drawing. He came to Mumbai as a disciple of a famous artist Shri. S. L. Haldankar. He stayed in Haldankar Studio and studied water colour painting and other specialties under his guidance for five years.

He learnt technology of commercial art at Ratan Batra Commercial Studio and then worked with National Advertising Agency for a year.

In his career as a commercial artist, he was commissioned by Medical Pharmacies, Engineering firms, Radio Manufacturers, Lighting Industry and many more... and he provided them product advertisement service right from layout of product brochures to complete printed product. This commercial work helped him finance his devotion to pure art and fulfill his family commitments.

In 1961 he held 1st one man show of his water colour paintings at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1962 he visited art galleries in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bruges, Berlin, Rome, Florence, Venice and Oslo. In 1962 he visited Milan and Hanover Industrial Fairs. In 1972 he had created colourful murals for one of the prominent architects of Mumbai that time.

Throughout his life he promoted his water colour painting style by taking time out from commercial work to paint on-the-spot water colour paintings, exhibiting new paintings in his exhibitions, publishing a book with coloured reproductions of paintings, holding painting demonstrations at educational institutions and teaching students free of charge at his studio in Mumbai. His painting style lives through his disciples, books and his paintings which are in collection of private individuals and Corporate.

Church in Bahari A small river crossover Flower Arrangement Panchabhakta Temple in Mandi

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