I paint a lot of Goan things because it's something I can relate to. And even the people that want to, you know, buy from me, they're mostly Goans who are settled somewhere else and they want a small part of Goa with them. So I feel like there's some sort of connection to my work. It's not just a painting, it's a bit of an emotion that you are carrying with you.

Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to episode 33 of photo country with Rajeev. This is usually the podcast, where I chat with photographers from around the world. And then occasionally I do talk to artists who straddle different mediums. One such artist is Manuela Mendonca Gomes. She is an artist from Goa India. I met her when I was working there. Her work is full of nature. It's very reflective of Goa where she lives. It's culture and its architecture. So I sat down to talk to her about her art. And her journey from being a tennis player to a successful commercial artist.  Thanks Manuela for coming on the Photo Country podcast.

My favourite memories of Goa are during the monsoons. I really love Goa when it's raining and when it's really green. My wife and I used to to jump on a scooter and ride through the quaint Goan villages. Manuela has beautifully captured this beauty of Goa in her paintings - from the houses, the lush green foliage to the distinct colour palette of Goa.

Interestingly, she got her start in life as a tennis player. Her strong work ethic is inspiring. And it is not surprising that the rigor of sports training has stood her in good stead in her current career as a commercial artist.

So I feel like playing that sport definitely taught me a lot of discipline
that I carried forward in my art career.

One of the distinct characteristics of Goa is the Power or the bread seller. In Goa, the day doesn’t start or end without the distinct sound of the Poder’s horn! The Poder is one of Manuela’s favourite things to paint about Goa.

I paint a lot of Goan things because it's something I can relate to. And even the people that want to, buy from me, they're mostly Goans who are settled somewhere else and they want a small part of Goa with them. So I feel like there's some sort of connection to my work. It's not just a painting, it's a bit of an emotion that you are carrying with you.

What is Manuela’s connection to Photocountry, you might ask! Well, its her process that really interested me. Within the artist lies a street photographer. Manuela captures her inspirations on her camera. She then translates and transforms them into artwork on her canvas.

So I basically look at a lot of photographs first, and I look at colours, I look at compositions, or even if I'm walking around and I see some something like a mental image I take, and I think, oh, this is gonna look good in a painting. This is what I would like to paint. So that's usually the first step.

She is also known for her murals, which is what she specialized in college. To give you an idea of the size of her murals, have a look at the one below!

I could go on and on about her work. But it is best you have a browse through her instagram feed. Her work is available on sale and Manuela is open for commissions as well.

Her instagram - https://www.instagram.com/manuelarrrtista/

Thank you, Manuela, for coming on the show. It was inspiring to learn about your work ethic, in your artwork. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. Do sign up for my newsletter and be informed every time I release an episode. Till the next episode, stay safe and keep clicking.