Art by Avan

Exploring the "creative use of mediums and their synergistic combinations,” Houston based artist Avan Bhathena employs right restraint and free flow of colors to create masterpieces. With her work on display in art galleries across Houston, Bhathena did a portrait of President Obama when she was commissioned as the official artist for one of the Inaugural Balls in Washington in January 2009 that was primarily held to introduce him to the Indian community, she writes.

Gravitating towards "nature, humanity and spirituality,” horses feature frequently in her work, as do flowers like irises, chrysanthemums and calla lilies, and the human face which she considers captivating, according to her website, artbyavan.com For those interested in commissioning a portrait of a loved one or a pet, the base price for a 11”x14” single subject is $ 200 if done in charcoal, $ 900 in watercolor and $ 1,700 in oil (14”x18”), mentions a handout.

Top: Kuwait Zoroastrians enjoy different activities organized by Vahbiz Daruwalla (left)

In addition to her original artworks, she also spends time on affordable digitial reproductions of original artworks and giclée reproductions which are high quality reproductions of fine art using modern digital technology on acid-free, archival quality canvas or watercolor paper. In the latter, the original artwork is reproduced at much higher resolutions than typical commercial printing with color matched by technicians.

Whilst quite a few of her paintings adorn the clinics and offices of doctors and businessmen, Bhathena mentions, "My major clients so far have been Zoroastrians (but) would like to see my artwork eventually appreciated by a much wider audience.” After her first art show at the Zoroastrian Cultural and Heritage Center of Houston on June 7, 2009 which was attended by over 200 guests, she is planning to have another show towards the end of 2010.

Avan Bhathena with her paintings gravitating towards "nature, humanity and spirituality”

"I am inspired to paint the symbols of our wonderful religion as they represent my beliefs and way of life. I would welcome the opportunity to create artworks for the community,” the 47-year-old artist responded to Parsi­ana’s queries.

Before marriage to Noshir Bhathena took her to Houston, Avan (née Vazifdar) had worked with fabrics for several years in the textile and garment export industry in Bombay. Fascinated by batik since her school days at the Alexandra Girls English Institution, she studied textile designing at Bombay’s Nirmala Niketan Institute. Subsequent to her migration to Houston, she studied fashion and textile designing there before her children Zal (now a senior in high school who helps the mother maintain the website) and Shayan (a freshman in high school) were born. Avan later chose to refocus her artistic talents, studying painting under renowned local and national artists to express herself in the traditional mediums. Drawing from her past experience she infused methods and mediums like fabric dyes, used in textile design, into her paintings. She even uses hot wax and other resists on watercolor paper to create multilayered images in vibrant colors with dyes, watercolors and gouaches.

Selected as a "featured artist” at a Houston gallery, Bhathena donates her works to several worthy causes that she identifies with.