Change in life....by Manisha Vedpathak

It's been really long time since my last post on December 4th.
December month had been very hectic on physical as well as emotional ground. There was a change taking place in our life. Not that we were not expecting this change but it came early by a few years. We had taken a long pending decision of relocating to India. And I got busy coping up with this change.
Dealing with change was not an easy piece of cake for my family as we were leaving the comfort  zone which we were in for 22 years(Yes, we lived in Africa for 22years). Though initially stressed a lot as it was difficult to, eventually I started taking this change positively. No one's life is free of change and you wouldn't like it if it WAS! So I re framed the way I was looking at this change and started to give positive meaning to it.
I welcomed the change as an opportunity and started finding out benefits in it. I knew there were a lot of benefits and opportunities ,I just had to stop being negative and open up my heart as this negativity was blocking my problem solving ability.
Thus I broadened my mind and embraced the change and here I am now in India. My house is in the process of settling down as well as my mind and soul. The homemaker in me is looking after the house and the family and the artist in me is struggling to find ways to get recognition in our area as an artist. I have set up a few goals and will be working towards achieving them.
Amidst this change in December, I managed to sell a few paintings and commissioned some. One of the paintings ,"Destiny", got sold one day before I left Ghana. I had to remove it from the packing which was a big hassle as the packers had packed my paintings really well.
I now hope to post regularly hereafter.

"Destiny"...an acrylic painting by Manisha Vedpathak

"Destiny"

Acrylic on canvas,50x70 cms

 Available

The sketch of this girl reminded me of my househelp

who worked for me some years back. Her name was

Destiny and I thought that the expressions on the face

in my painting also tries to say ,"I wonder, what is in

my destiny?".

Having said this, a question popped into my mind ,

how many of us believe in the concept of destiny?

 Do you believe that you can control or shape

your destiny?

Would greatly appreciate a feedback from my readers.

"Gaze between the lines"....an acrylic painting by Manisha Vedpathak

 "Gaze between the lines"

Acrylic on canvas, 31"X24"

Available

I was unsure of the title when I finished this painting.

I decided to play a game of titles with one of Accra expat groups

 on facebook and I was amazed with the enthusiam shown by

the group members. Many people did try to read her expression

and suggested me some titles, which gave me a direction to 

think. I actually loved this game as  it is so exciting to know the 

viewer's  perspective . And thus I came to the title,

"Gaze between the lines".

Hope you all enjoy this painting.

Feel content.....by Manisha Vedpathak

Last week turned out to be a good week for me from

business point of view. Sold 7 paintings, 6 have found 

a new home in Accra and one going to a Ghanaian family

in Paris. Many thanks to Darryl Wakefield for the 6 paintings

and Mr Acolaste for the one going to Paris.

I feel content and wish to have the same feeling for 2015 also.

Here are those 6 paintings which have gone to new home in Accra:

   

"Pose"....A portrait study by Manisha Vedpathak

"Pose"

Acrylic on canvas,16"x24"

This  is another in my portrait study.

I loved the wide smile on the face of this girl.

Would appreciate some feedback.

Old is gold.............by Manisha Vedpathak

This painting was hung in my studio for a long time.

Whenever I went to the studio, I used to get an urge 

of reworking on this painting, either making it completely 

abstract or...well there were many ideas cropping into 

my mind but I used to control it reminding of the words

of an African Artist freind, Kofi Nduro. 

"Never change a painting, there may be some

art collector who may like it".

And this is what happened with me. A Ghanaian art

collector staying in Paris liked this painting and he bought it.

I am so glad that I did not change this painting. It has got a

new home now.

It is so true that old is gold.

"Akua'ba".....an acrylic painting by Manisha Vedpathak

African symbols are very intriguing, their Ancestors made
symbols out of everything. Fertility Doll is one of the oldest
symbol which is also known as "Akua'ba"(pl. Akua'maa).

. The round, flat disc heads, columnar body with outstretched arms

 and smooth, black surface convey the Asante (or Ashanti) ideal of beauty.
In Ghana ,fertility dolls represent youth and fertility. These dolls are
carved in wood and are believed to induce pregnancy. Fertility dolls are
famous and special for the reason behind its creation.

It is one of the most familiar stories in African culture. At some time in the 
past, there was a young Asante woman called "Akua"( wednesday born)
who was having trouble in conceiving a child("ba"). So she was adviced
by a priest to commission a wood carving of a child. She was instructed 
to treat carving just like a living being. She was to carry the carving 
on her back as all the children are carried , tucked into the wrapper 
,with only the head appearing above the cloth and look after the carving
just like any child is been looked after. So Akua did just as she was told
but people teased her pointing at her carving. But eventually Akua got pregnant
and gave birth to a beautiful healthy girl and her success encouraged others
suffering from infertility to follow her path and thus the carvings came to be
 known after her name Akua'ba(Akua's child).

 And so the title of my painting is "Akua'ba". There are a few fertility dolls
in my painting and the images of mother carrying the child on her back
(these images which I am very fascinated about) , and thus came the abstract and 
very interesting juxtaposition of these images and various geo shapes .

Hope you all enjoy the painting!
 

 

"Akua'ba"

Acrylic on canvas,27"X50"

Available