Ganesh by Melissa Pym

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ARTIST NOTES: I am a chronically ill and disabled artist and Lord Ganesha (Indian God of removing obstacles) took me 6 years to paint. I feel he really lives up to his name as I had to employ all different creative solutions in order to complete this oil painting. I alternated between, sitting, kneeling and standing. I had to use pacing for short intervals, sometimes only managing 10 minutes at a time. I also had a long stint of about 9 months where I was completely bed-ridden and could not work on it at all. I had to paint him upside down half the time and had assistance from a carer or friend too. Now that he is complete I feel a huge sense of achievement and hopefully can inspire others like me to create art and that anything is possible with enough passion and determination. Ganesh has layers of luminous glazing adding to the 3D look of the oil painting on stretched canvas. He is a riot of deep and rich colours that can only be truly appreciated in the flesh. I studied literally hundreds of traditional representations of Ganesh before drawing my own original interpretation (which took 1 year). I wanted to show him in the various stages of life with a little cheeky baby elephant on the right hand side sneaking a "modak" (a sweet confection and symbol of everlasting bliss) and then another teenage elephant rampaging without abandon into the scene. Ganesh has a throne perched on top of a flying carpet as I wanted to emphasize him in more of a celestial way as most traditional depictions of Ganesh are of him on the ground and surrounded with a plethora of sacred objects.

DIMENSIONS (Height - 122.00 cm X Width - 91.50 cm )
MEDIUM ON BASE Oil on Stretched Canvas
GENRE Other
REGISTERED NRN # 000-43829-0139-01
COPYRIGHT © Melissa Pym
PRIZES AND AWARDS No Awards

 
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Artist: Melissa Pym


ARTIST BIO

Melissa Pym is an Australian artist who studied at Brighton Bay Art, Design and Photography in 1995 and Ceramic Design at Chisholm Tafe in 1998. Initially a sculptor, Mel taught herself to paint in 2012, and continues to explore other mediums as a part of her practice. Mel focuses on her mission of finding creative solutions around her many disabilities and then passing on this knowledge to the disabled community through her YouTube channel and other platforms to increase access to art. She hopes this legacy will improve their quality of life and help save lives. You can also please support and follow her work on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/melissapym1

Or Mel's other Social Media Links here:

https://linktr.ee/melissapym

Watch this short video to meet Mel and learn about her unconventional and remote residency at Yarra Sculpture Gallery in 2023 here:

https://youtu.be/Rnwz9HKMC2M

Melissa suffers from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a heart condition and chronic "lyme-like" disease. Her artwork provides her with personal joy and fulfilment (when she is able to use her hands). It also gives her the extra support that she requires to finance a long-term recovery. She hopes that through fighting her disease she can inspire others to do the same. Melissa considers it her life’s mission to fight both for herself and others with "lyme-like" disease to raise awareness of it in Australia. Through education, awareness and early intervention, Australians can hope to avoid this devastating illness.

Government and health authorities have been reluctant to acknowledge and support victims of this growing epidemic, despite the evidence, undeniable proof and the increasing numbers of sufferers.

  • Solo Exhibitions:
  • 2002 - The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy
  • Group Exhibitions:
  • 2024 - Sorrento Art Show
  • 2023 - Dreams and Debuts - Lived Experience Art Competition
  • 2023 - Hobsons Bay Art Show
  • 2023 - Contemporary Sculpture Association - Sculpture Now Exhibition
  • 2023 - Severe ME Artist's Project
  • 2023 - A Disability Lens of Climate Emergency - Climarte Gallery
  • 2023 - Art Red Hill Art Show 
  • 2023 - Hastings Art Show
  • 2023 - Tumut Annual Art Exhibition
  • 2023 - Yarra Sculpture Gallery Summer Residency & Exhibition
  • 2022 - Knox Art Show
  • 2022 - The Portland Art Show
  • 2022 - Mornington Rotary Art Show
  • 2022 - Sorrento Art Show 
  • 2021 - Linden Postcard Show
  • 2021 - Knox Art Show
  • 2014 - Town and Country Gallery, Yarragon
  • 2014 - Wahalla Easter Art Show, Walhalla
  • 2013 - Birds Gallery, Kew
  • 2013 - The Willow Bar, Northcote
  • 2003 - Gallery 66, Fitzroy
  • 2003 - The Convent Gallery, Daylesford
  • 2002 - The Kaleidoscope Cafe, Brunswick
  • Memberships:
  • CSA - Contemporary Sculptors Association
  • Media:
  • 2023 - Polymer Week Magazine - Blog Article "Coral Networks." 
  • https://www.polymerweek.com/post/coral-networks
  • 2021 - ideas.org.au (Disability site) - Power Blog Article "Melissa Pym's continued healing through art." 
  • https://www.ideas.org.au/power-blog/mel-pym-s-continued-healing-through-art.html
  • 2019 - ideas.org.au (Disability site) - Power Blog Article "Creative ways to heal through art." 
  • https://www.ideas.org.au/power-blog/finding-creative-ways-to-heal-through-art-mel-pym.html
  • 2018 - Star Weekly Newspaper article- "Art a journey of healing." 
  • https://meltonmoorabool.starweekly.com.au/news/art-a-journey-of-healing/

     Art Commissions:

  • 2023 - TeamDSC Banner Designs: Mixed Media, Painting, Sculpture Commissions
  • 2022 - 2023: Bushwood Creations: Hand-painted Cabochon Eye Commissions
  • 2022 - Splashy Mosaics: Hand-painted Cabochon Eye Commissions
  • 2022 - Koorana Croc Farm: Paintings and Drawings
  • 2021 - NYX Festival Public Art: Hand-painted Cabochon Eye Commissions


View works by Melissa Pym in Knox Art Show