In the last two years, he has carved a niche for himself in this profession and is busy through the year. His shop has two racks stacked with dolls to be readied for the Navarathri festival.
However he says that he will begin to work on them only after the customer approaches him before the festival. 'If they decide not to have it back then my labours would go waste. So I do not begin till they ask for it. If they choose not to take them back I repair and paint them and put them up for sale', he explains
Paramsivan’s day begins at 9 am and ends only at 10 pm. Closer to the festival he is sometimes at his shop even by 5.30 am. He works on five dolls daily.
First they are given a coat of cement primer and then painted with enamel colours. 'I paint them slowly. After the primer coat I paint one part and allow it to dry before I paint another. It takes me a whole day to paint an idol of Krishna which is one feet high. My work is neat and meticulous and the dolls will can be used for another thirty years', he explains.
Paramasivan had an innate interest for drawing from his schooldays at Tenkasi. He undertook a postal course in drawing and became a drawing teacher. But things did not work to his satisfaction and soon he opted to design sign boards. After working for 18 years in Washermenpet he came to Mylapore in search of greener pastures and opened a shop on Ramakrishna Math Road before shifting to Chitrakulam West street. As luck would have it people approached him to paint their old dolls rather than new sign boards and Paramasivam gradually turned to a full fledged painter of dolls.
However the artist has no regrets. 'My earnings are good. I plan to pursue this profession for Mylapore steeped in culture offers the great scope to practise it through the year', he says.
