Quill to perfection

Pritesh Dagur quills cards and jewellery pieces, each of which has a unique message behind it

What started as a hobby is now her full-time profession. Pritesh Dagur, who quit her job as a scientist, is now a full-time art researcher who has three mottos – stay curious, continue exploring and never stop learning.

It all started when Pritesh’s sister gave her an envelope which had a quilling art on it. “I was fascinated by the art and that is when I started researching about the art form,” she says.

Dr Pritesh Dagur, founder and artist at Art’zire (Bengaluru-based art studio that specialises in customisation and personalisation of art and craftworks), initially would quill cards and gift it to her friends and other folks. “Orders came pouring in from friends, and even before I knew I was accepting all the orders.”

Pritesh Dagur

When she started out, she didn’t have any references. “YouTube wasn’t very accessible and Facebook and other platforms weren’t that popular. However, I followed Inna Dorman Quilling Creations and Suzana Ilic Quilling Creations online,” she adds.

For quilling, all you need is paper, slotted quilling tool and glue. Talking about the designs she has worked on, she says that each of her artwork is unique and has a message behind it.

“I started off working on whatever interested me. It was after I started getting orders that I began narrowing down my thoughts,” she adds.

Since then, she took everything that came her way and turned it into an opportunity. “My primary focus is always to develop a technique and master it in such a way that I am the best at it. That is how I approach everything,” she adds.

Pritesh is planning to conduct quilling workshops in April. “I am planning to teach children the basics of quilling like ‘wire bending’. Getting the basics right can help one reach heights,” she adds.

A lot of people have approached Pritesh through social media and her blog. “My blog was mostly educative. I have been helping them clear their doubts about quilling,” she adds.

When asked how her family has responded to her new hobby, she says that her husband has been the most supportive and has stood by her at every single step.

“My husband pushes me to do better and see beyond my potential. He asked me not to stop and helped me improve my skills.”

Having said that, her parents and in-laws were not too convinced with her new venture. “They felt that I wasn’t doing justice to what I had studied. But I think the choice should always be something that one thinks is right.”

Pritesh also adds that she is not very active on her blog right now. “I have also started concentrating on activities like baking and revised my long-lost passion for painting portraits. I am also a mother. So amidst all the multi-tasking, I haven’t been able to make time to work on the blog. But whatever I do is uploaded on Facebook,” she explains.

She feels that a hobby is a vital characteristic in an individual’s life. “Without a hobby, our life becomes one-dimensional and we are more likely to fall into the trap of unhappiness. A hobby keeps us busy and occupied and leaves no space for negativity,” she signs off.

(You can follow Pritesh Dagur on her Facebook page ‘Artzire’ and blog www.quillingmesoftlee.blogspot.com. She can be contacted on [e-mail])