It all started in 2003 for artist Kamla Ravikumar, when she first painted the walls of a park in Kalakshetra Colony. Walking through the playground over two decades later, she noticed that the murals had been completely scraped off. The sight stayed with her. So, she picked up her brush and began repainting the walls.

One wall led to another, and in a fleeting span of months, six long walls of Kalakshetra Colony exploded with yellows, lilacs, and greens. At the heart of this beautification initiative by the Kalakshetra Colony Welfare Association was its senior citizen member, Ms. Ravikumar.

“I will not take the entire credit for it myself. It eventually became a community project because many children of the Kalakshetra Colony showed up, along with their parents, as well as the students of Stella Maris College and many other professional artists,” says Ms. Ravikumar, adding that the residents collectively funded the project.

A couple of them, who were teenagers when they painted the walls with her in 2003, returned to the park with their children to repaint it.

The walls on MGR road, Rukmani road, Beach road, and Arundale beach road had a concept of their own. From the expressions and eye movements of Bharatanatyam to the sun-drenched yellow walls with cactus murals, pastel blooms, and messages on environmental responsibility for children, each wall had a story of its own.

“Many are now coming just to take selfies with the wall or do photo-shoots I am also getting calls from people all over Chennai asking me to come and paint their neighbourhood walls,” she says.

She quips that many residents of Chennai suffer from the “Not in my backyard syndrome”, and dump garbage anywhere on the corners of the road.

“I hope that by beautifying areas, people will develop a sense of belonging and feel a greater responsibility towards keeping their surroundings nice and clean,” Ms. Ravikumar says.

“More awareness about civic responsibility should be given to students in schools. Make the children paint their own school walls, and that could make them more mindful of the spaces around them,” she adds.

She says that above all, the project felt like a picnic. As she painted alongside the students, the neighbourhood came together with breakfast and snacks throughout the period.

“More residential areas and communities in Chennai can take up projects like these and do this in their neighbourhood,” Ms. Ravikumar adds.

If anything, the wall painting project has only invigorated her creative spirit. “Age will never be a deterrent for me. I am not going to stop with this wall art,” says Ms. Ravikumar, who has been teaching art in Chennai for the past 25 years. “My brain is full of ideas for our neighbourhood,” she adds.