Recently, a solo exhibition of a renowned and talented artist, Shahid Jalal was held at the Ejaz Galleries, Lahore. The exhibition included more than 45 pieces mainly the paintings of the sights of two famous gardens of Lahore including Jinnah (Lawrence) Garden and Linear Park, Model Town. Shahid Jalal, has done well and his paintings spoke volumes of his love for natural beauty. Jalal, is a qualified chartered accountant by profession but he gave up his career in 1994 for painting. He has been a recipient of a prize at the Punjab Painters Exhibition in 1989 and the Presidents Award for Pride of Performance in the field of Painting in 1994. Ever since then, he has never looked back and held number of exhibitions around the world, including Washington, London, Stockholm and Delhi. His collections have been owned by the National Gallery of Pakistan, the National Assembly, Prime Ministers House, World Bank, Pakistan, Foreign Office and Pakistan House, Delhi as well as by many other public and private organizations. While talking to Sunday Plus of The Nation he said, this exhibition is of paintings done in the last three years, mainly in two parks of Lahore. One is the very well known Lawrence Gardens and the other a lesser known one called the Linear Park on the outskirts of Model Town. He further stated that the reason he chose these locations for his paintings were because the Linear Park was something new for him and he had passed it on numerous occasions without actually going in. He also said, On a chance visit to the park I was instantly captivated by its lakes and waterways and the very mature trees lining these waterways. What particularly charmed me were the islands made in the lakes and the quaint wooden bridges connecting them. These bridges offered me the opportunity to see the park from additional angles giving me ready made natural compositions with which I could work. Similarly, the Lawrence Gardens also known as the Bagh - e Jinnah has been a source of inspiration for my work for the past three decades. This is my third exhibition in which I have used this area for my paintings. Each of his painting depicted his love for nature, greenery, lakes and water especially the ones visible at the Linear Park. Water and reflections of the landscape around it are therefore present in most of the paintings of the park, said Jalal. The Lawrence Garden paintings have become more detailed and complex in his paintings. According to him, this is deliberate as I am gradually moving towards designing my canvases as opposed to representing what I see in front of me. This has led me to design my paintings in a more conscious manner resulting in more varied compositions. There were four pictures in the exhibition which have a different feel to them and these are the flower paintings. Jalal further said, the two cockscomb paintings of the Lawrence Gardens and the two chrysanthemum paintings of the Linear Park are some of the examples. He further stated that what makes a successful painter depends upon our own likes and dislikes. For a painter like me if I feel I have done justice to that first impression I formed in my mind when I start a painting, I call that picture successful. The exhibition was attended by prominent artists, students, teachers and art lovers from all strata of Pakistan. According to Ayesha Barlas, an artist from Scotland, said, Jalals paintings are innovative, refreshing and unique for the viewer. He has used good light tones and composition to express the beauty of flowers and plants. Prof Quddos Mirza also commented that Jalal had managed to capture the real atmosphere of the various scenes he had painted. The exhibition remained open for a week and received an amazing response from people.