About Medha:

Born in Mumbai, India. She was fascinated and inspired by the art she came across. She started dabbling with art in the hope of making beautiful paintings that touch the heart & soul. By the 7th grade, she had decided that she absolutely wanted to study art. She earned her BFA from the Sir J.J School of Fine Arts & worked as a cell animator, in India. Her career & life goals changed after her marriage & becoming a migrant in a new country. First, due to work visa limitations & then to actively take the best care of her beloved children, She shifted her career focus from animation to painting commissions and teaching art from her home studio. After being in the USA for 25 years, she has exhibited her paintings, executed several noteworthy commissioned paintings & taught numerous weekly art lessons in-person & online for all ages. All while being a dedicated & actively involved mother of 2 amazing kids, She is still extensively & happily occupied with her kids. But limiting her time availability elsewhere. She hopes to facilitate & be an active participant in them flying at their best. She says she has been very fortunate to have some prominent commissions and awards for what she does in every aspect of her life. But juggling it all has taken a very big toll on her in several ways. So, for now, she has decided to keep teaching art on the backboard to sincerely paint only within her time, responsibility, energy & well-being limits. She sees this as a second chance not just to further enhance her art on canvas but also to make beautiful art out of her life in every aspect.

“Always hopeful for many more worthy commissions, art sales & awards. To embellish my art, life & soul’s journey with a cherry on top. Que Sera Sera.” – Medha Atre-Kulkarni

Artist Statement:

I believe art is the purest form of divine expression that comes directly from the artist’s heart & soul, knowingly or unknowingly. I paint everything that touches my heart & everything that I paint comes from my heart, and I love the process. It’s Magic! I try to manifest the magic of art in several mediums: prominently in watercolors, acrylic, and oils.

Art is the journey of the soul. Through my art (& lessons over the years), I hope to give back to the world, add creativity & happiness to everyone’s life & add a smile to your face. Thanks for being a part of my journey.

New Brunswick Art Salon 2023 – Watercolor and Mixed Media “See the Forest For the Trees”

Awards:

  • GSWS 53 Annual Juried Show – Golden Artist Colors Material Award, Jun 11th, 2023
  • NJWCS – The Nickolas A. Real Memorial Award for “My Sweet A.” Nov 5th, 2017
  • GSWS – Signature Member Nov 19th, 2016
  • GSWS – Member Silver Award for “Chaay Tapri” Noc 2016
  • GSWS – Member Silver Award for “Witness” June 2016
  • GSWS – Honorable Mention – “Nostalgic India” GSWS Associate & New Member Show 2014

Art Commissions and Collections:

  • 2 portraits of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar were auctioned at a private WCF fundraiser. Aug 2023
  • Rose sold at GR8 Works show at West Windsor Art. March 5th, 2023
  • Prop designing for Mrs Universe National round held in Sofia, Bulgaria. Feb 2023
  • Painting series: “Marathi Quintessence,” July 2022. 5 paintings, 1 mural in the collection of Mejwaani Restaurant, Edison
  • “Nostalgic Mangalore” acrylic painting commission in private collection, NJ. Oct 20th, 2021
  • Bridal Portrait in private collection, NY. Dec 13th, 2020
  • 3 oil paintings for Mejwaani Restaurant, South Plainfield, NJ. Feb 13th, 2019
  • 2 paintings, “Ganpati” & “Radha Krishna,” auctioned at Vibha Vibes, NJ/NY. Oct 7th, 2018
  • Portrait of “Maj. Gupta” in Collection Consulate of India, NYC. July 19th, 2018
  • Mural for Mejwaani Restaurant, South Plainfield, NJ. June 2018
  • Iskon replica oil painting, private collection, NJ. Jan 2018
  • “Jai Shri Krishna” in private collection, PA. Jan 2016
  • “Mohan” auctioned Namma Chennai. Dec 7th, 2015
  • Props for various organizations: Lions Clubs, ICS East Brunswick, Sanatan Vidyalay, NDA Ram Leela, Jhoom entertainments, and various private events. 2015-current
  • “Nostalgic India” in the collection of the Consulate of India, NY. May 28th, 2015
  • Mural for Lanning Elementary School Library, Veronica, NJ. Installed June 14th, 2014

Prominent Exhibitions:

  • GSWS all Annual Juried shows & all members shows 2014-current
  • Prop designing for Mrs Universe National round held in Sofia, Bulgaria. Feb 2023
  • Speed painting in 7 mins on stage for NJ Artists Lion Club. Dec 2022
  • NY Artexpo April 4th-7th, 2019
  • NJWCS 75th Annual Open Juried Exhibition, Middle Town Art Center. Sep 26th – Oct 30th, 2017
  • Monmouth Museum Juried Watercolor Show in Main Gallery – Sep 15th – Nov 5th, 2017
  •  Monmouth Museum Juried Portrait Exhibition in Main Gallery – Sep 18th – Nov 1st, 2015
  • Solo show at the Consulate of India, NYC. May 18th – May 27th, 2015
  • Juried group show Splash: Promising Watercolorists! 25 Emerging Artists at The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie. Nov 22nd, 2014 – Jan 18th, 2015
  • Gaurgoud Art Gallery group shows. Dec 2013 – March 2015

Publications and News Coverages:

  • My painting series at Mejwaani restaurant on the “PBS Food” YouTube channel. Aug 3rd, 2023 episode
  • Article about my stage prop for Mrs. Universe, N America 2023 & my art journey in BMM Vitrant. April 2023
  • Various video coverages of my art TV Asia, ITV Gold, Events Now USA
  • Painting “Diva” on the cover page of Diwali Magazine in Memphis, TN. Jan 2015
  • “Home News Tribune” – cover page article of my art “East Brunswick Artist.” Jun 13th 2014
  • “My Veronica NJ” article on the mural “Learning Mural Celebrities reading.” June 3rd, 2014

Lessons, Demos & Workshops:

  • New Brunswick Free Public Library – 2 Virtual Holi painting workshops. April 8th, 2021 & March 25th, 2022
  • Watercolor Demo Lesson Fundraiser for Autism Acceptance Campaign, an ICS online initiative. May 7th, 2021
  • Started YouTube art lessons on the channel “Medha Art Studio.” April 2021 – Current
  • Watercolor workshop online across the USA for BMM and MANA (Maharashtran Artists of North America). March 29th, 2021
  • Watercolor demo for Vishwa Rang 2020 – International Literature & Art Festival USA, aired online in 15 countries. Dec 202
  • Demonstration at Hunterdon Watercolor Society. April 2nd 2018
  • Art Partied. 2015-2020
  • 2 demonstrations at GSWS, Princeton. Nov 13th & Nov 14th, 2015
  • Weekly art batches for different age groups & mediums. 1999 – 2020

Education:

1995 BFA painting Sir J.J School of Fine Arts Painting, Mumbai, India, 1st class.

 

Email: medhaatre@yahoo.com

Phone: (848)219-2527

Website: medha-atrekulkarni.pixels.com