Samantha Seebalack adds touch of colour to Divali

Divali is the celebration of light over darkness, and artist Samantha Seebalack has been adding her own beauty to the Hindu festival of lights.

In 2023, she started adding a more festive look to the plain clay deyas that are used to commemorate the auspicious day.

Seebalack, 42, has a small, designated area in her Diego Martin home where she uses acrylic paint to make beautiful patterns on her deyas.

"My designs are random," she told WMN.

"I paint whatever comes to mind, and I might repeat a design if I like it."

She said she uses an assortment of bright colours and puts a lot of effort into each one.

"I want to love each one, so I try to give each my best with every dot, every brush stroke.

"I buy them, wash them, paint and I seal them. A lot of people think they can’t be lit, but they can."

She said although she takes her time, collectively, the process is not as long as people may thing.

"I can do two dozens in an hour, from start to finish, depending on how I spread my time."

She is pleased with how sales are going, as people are ordering them to use at home or to give as corporate gifts.

Seebalack, an aesthetician by profession, first started to monetise her artistic ability in 2021.

"During the covid19 pandemic, of course everything workwise was at a standstill. Also I was a new mother for about a year.

"I had always liked plants, so I was able to take care of them more because I was home. I couldn’t find statement pots locally, so I figured I could try painting on my own. I posted them online, people started buying and it became an official business – Poui Pots."

Seebalack said she wanted a business name that matched her work, and she read that the bark of the poui tree is as strong as concrete.

"It was the perfect name because my pots are made of concrete."

She buys the pots from local suppliers and does four different sizes.

"The largest I ever did was 36 inches."

She said although she excelled in art at secondary school, she never really followed through with it at a higher level because her career didn’t take her in that direction.

"Every season I try to do pots to commemorate that season, and last year I started doing the deyas on a whim. I painted one deya about two to three weeks before Divali and posted it online. I got a lot of responses and took order, but I had limited time so I couldn't do too many."

Although the work she does for Poui Pots is on a part-time basis, her aim to make it her main stream of income.

"I love doing it and I would love to expand. My son, he's four, he loves to help me."

Seebalack said her workspace is not large, but it serves its purpose for what she needs.

"It could be bigger, space is always better, but I make do. I use a lot of vertical space and I try not to make it a problem."

Her ultimate goal, though, is to eventually have a workspace with a store front.

"Right now I sell from Centrascape and online through my social media pages."

To order visit poui_pots on IG and Facebook.