Manasi Priya

I've been living in Sydney for many years, and I enjoy everything it has to offer. When COVID-19 hit, things became uncomfortable. Life was feeling constrained. Our new normal was a massive readjustment of our daily routines.

Loneliness made my mind wander searching for something. Somehow it inspired creativity and I picked up a paintbrush for the first time. After I completed my first painting, I painted another and another and I kept going.

As an open water swimmer, I feel a strong connection with the ocean. The feeling of being immersed in the vastness of the sea is both exhilarating and humbling. I love the freedom of movement and the sense of adventure that comes with exploring the open waters. I found that painting seascapes became a form of meditation and a way to escape during the pandemic. When I was painting, I felt transported to the ocean, and I could almost feel the waves lapping at my feet. As the pandemic wore on, painting became an increasingly important part of my life and has given me a new sense of purpose and fulfilment.

As someone with no formal art education, I have found that without the constraints of traditional techniques and methods, I am free to experiment and explore different mediums and styles. By ...