THOUGHTS ON CANVAS

Crafting Children’s Brighter Future…

We are back with yet another success story, our star this month is a visionary entrepreneur – Garima Govil. What made us highlight her would unfold in this inside story and hopefully would prove to be a motivational booster to our global audience. Let’s dive in.

INTRODUCTION

Thoughts On Canvas is focussed on building a culture of Early Design for children so that they can satisfy their wish to become anything they want – an architect, designer, or visual artist. At present, the best teachers from national design institutes such as NIFT and NID are nurturing children in art and early design.

The foundation of the organization was laid in 2008 in Gurgaon, India as a school for fostering early design skills in children. The organisation has extended its reach across USA, Canada, Singapore, Dubai, Australia, and every significant city in India.

The founder, Garima Govil, has pioneered a teaching methodology that relies on numerical ideas, block techniques and colour theory. Via her uniquely curated methodology, she is teaching art virtually to her students across the globe.

MEET THE BRAINS BEHIND THE COMPANY

Garima Govil has developed early design as a concept, establishing the largest virtual teaching art institute in India today. Hailing from the 2003 batch of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Delhi and 2005 International Academy of Design Toronto, she has shown extraordinary expertise in her teaching techniques.

Garima began the endeavor from her drawing room quite a while back, taking art interest classes for neighborhood Gurgaon kids. She built a loyal base of students who would swear by her ability to “teach anyone to draw” using block techniques, fashion design principles and color theory. Her hobby classes started to take the form of a formal school with 3-4 regular classes daily and she converted a basement facility close to her residence into a makeshift school.

In 2015, she collaborated with her closest friend, Shilpa Golwalkar Bakshi. With Shilpa taking care of sales and marketing and Garima focussed on teaching, the school thrived locally building a 200+ student base across Gurgaon. It expanded into granting junior art diplomas in collaboration with accredited art colleges, conducting corporate art events, art therapy for adults as well as children’s national level art competitions and exhibitions.

In mid-2020, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in worldwide lockdowns. Garima and Shilpa saw the opportunity and shifted the whole educational program to online Zoom based tutorials. The establishment quickly spread its presence across the art student community in US, Canada, Singapore, Dubai, Australia and practically every city in India from Vadodara to Srinagar. The school today has over 1000+ students from just 6 years of age to grown ups who view art as therapy.

Thoughts On Canvas is increasing its student base by nearly 50% annually, the 15-member organisation includes faculty from NIFT and NID, with Garima herself taking up to 100 hours of classes each month, every week from Monday to Sunday. She aspires to go public soon but insists that the only real capital the business has is children’s goodwill!

COURSES AT THOUGHTS ON CANVAS
Currently, the school conducts:
1. Weekly design classes for age group of 6-18 years and grown-ups
2. Diploma courses in art
3. National level art competitions for students

In the Junior School for younglings ages 5 and above, the Beginner Art program teaches basic sketching and coloring to increase creativity and confidence. The young ones draw simple objects, landscapes, animals, birds and develop an early appreciation for visual art which is both enjoyable for them and builds creative skills for future.

The Middle School is targetted to age group from 8 – 12 years. There are two award-winning programs in the Middle School – Youngling Art and Creative Design Art. The objective of Youngling Art program is to develop appreciation for art and improve drawing abilities with skill and imagination. The intent is to achieve confidence to further one’s artistic or design learning in future.

The objective of Creative Design Art program is to learn how to draw advanced drawings, improve observation skills and different views. It is an advanced sketching program for students wishing to continue further studies or make a career particularly in any type of design.

B.DES Tutoring is a study program towards national institutes such as IIT, NIFT and NID based on the pattern of UCEED / DAT entrance examination. Covers both General Ability and Creative Ability and Design Aptitude.

THOUGHTS ON CANVAS NATIONAL ART COMPETITIONS

Over the years, Thoughts on Canvas has also been a frontrunner in holding children’s national level art competitions and exhibitions. For the current year, Thoughts on Canvas is proud to present the first ever children’s art exhibition to be held at the prestigious National Academy of Art under Ministry of Culture Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi on December 18th, 2022.

For the first time in Indian history, children under 18 years of age across India will be given the opportunity to showcase their art skills @Lalit Kala Akademi as part of TOC Art Festival 2022. It promises to be mega showcase of the best that children can do, with over 300 participants from across India. The exhibition is open to the public from Dec 16th – 22nd at the main galleries at Rabindra Bhawan, Mandi House- Delhi.

The school is also known for holding the well-known national art competition Youngium. Youngium has seen excellent participation over the years with the last edition results declared in July 2022 where children won exciting prizes ranging from Alexa’s to air pods!

Earlier events include exhibitions at HUDCO Art Gallery at Bikaji Cama Place Delhi, Art Abode Gurgaon, and other locations across the country.

THOUGHTS ON CANVAS WORK WITH UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN
Thoughts on Canvas is committed to nurturing children from all backgrounds so that they can fulfil their ambitions of being anything they want – an architect, a fashion designer, an engineer or an interior or jewellery designer – whatever their heart desires.

With that endeavour in mind the school works closely with NGOs, in holding workshops and classes for various underprivileged student communities. Thoughts on Canvas also provides free art supplies for many students enrolled in the institute. The institute also nurtures budding talent by teaching art and early design free to students from weak economic background.

Mail us : [email protected]

THOUGHTS ON CANVAS