Mindwarp is part of my Life Series – These oil paintings (and now digital oil paintings) mirror life itself—full of paths, twists, turns, and layers. As in life, you can’t go back to change a line once it’s made. You can only move forward, carrying the weight and consequence of each decision. But if you find you truly can’t live with a detail—if it demands to be changed—then, depending on how deep you are in the layers, you may have to start over from that point. Still, it will never be the same. It becomes an entirely different painting, a different life. That brushstroke belonged to a specific moment in time: where I was, how I felt, even what music I was listening to. You can only go back if you’re willing to walk a completely new path—with no guarantees, no familiar ground—just the unknown ahead. Each piece in the Life Series holds a moment in time—unique, unrepeatable. If one speaks to you, it might just be meant for your space, your story. DM for questions or visit the Fine Art America link for Wall Art : https://atelier-bellanda.pixels.com/featured/mindwarp-bellanda.html
My newest creation, Aura, emerged after nearly a year and a half of grief, meditation, yoga, and healing. In October 2023, I lost the love of my life. He was, quite literally, my partner in everything, and the journey since has been long and difficult for all who were blessed to have known him. My greatest priority has been guiding our children through it, one day at a time, pulling back from virtually all of my online presence.
I struggled with the idea of creating again, wondering if it was even possible. Friends and fellow artists advised me to channel my grief into making something beautiful, but the thought of doing any of this without him felt almost impossible. For over 22 years, he had been such an integral part of my creation process. His light, energy and support enveloped me and inspired me; while his encouragement wiped away the insecurities that so often crept in. Without him, I felt quite empty, as if I had nothing left to give.
In my heart, I believe that he would have wanted me to continue creating. I can still see his beautiful loving smile as he watched me, covered in paint, moving my paintbrush in a dance to the music on the large canvas. When my illness made that physical dance difficult, he was the one who bought me an iPad so that I could continue to create. The love and support that I have received over the years has been a true gift, and I’ve been trying to draw on all of that to find my way back to art.
Aura is a promise of new beginnings in the light… It carries a different energy than my previous works, and I find myself drawn to it, wondering—was its light inspired by his beautiful radiance? Do the swirling, pulsating colors reflect the visions I’ve witnessed in meditation? There’s something deeply personal in this piece, something I can’t quite put into words, but I feel it.
Aura was created entirely on an iPad using Procreate and Illustrator. While I still miss the dance between myself and a canvas, working digitally has been satisfying, and music remains an integral part of my work. Each piece still begins without a plan—no preconceived ideas, direction, or even a color scheme. I simply allow myself to be carried by the music, embracing the journey of discovery until the piece reveals itself. For this piece, I was particularly inspired by James Heather’s Ultraviolet and Luca D’Alberto’s Consequences, Grace, Blessed Messenger, and Tomorrow, among other similar artists.
This has been a long process and I wanted to thank you for your patience and kind support during this time. Your messages shed light into my world during a particularly dark period.
I’d also like to thank you for taking the time to explore Aura with me. If you’d like to see more of my work or even bring one of my creations into your space, you can visit the links below. Your support—whether through kind words, sharing, or collecting a piece—means everything.
Mindwarp is part of my Life Series – These oil paintings (and now digital oil paintings) mirror life itself—full of paths, twists, turns, and layers. As in life, you can’t go back to change a line once it’s made. You can only move forward, carrying the weight and consequence of each decision. But if you find you truly can’t live with a detail—if it demands to be changed—then, depending on how deep you are in the layers, you may have to start over from that point. Still, it will never be the same. It becomes an entirely different painting, a different life. That brushstroke belonged to a specific moment in time: where I was, how I felt, even what music I was listening to. You can only go back if you’re willing to walk a completely new path—with no guarantees, no familiar ground—just the unknown ahead. Each piece in the Life Series holds a moment in time—unique, unrepeatable. If one speaks to you, it might just be meant for your space, your story. DM for questions or visit the Fine Art America link for Wall Art : https://atelier-bellanda.pixels.com/featured/mindwarp-bellanda.html
It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, and I’m sorry for that. This past year has completely changed the dynamics of our household, and it has taken some juggling and some getting used to in order to be able to create in an apartment, with no real space of my own. This had never been an issue because the kids were usually in school and my dear man and I would often work from home, so we have a mutual respect for each other’s space, no matter how small that space happened to be.
I honestly didn’t think it would effect me as it has, but just to give you an example… I have been interrupted 8 times while writing this paragraph, and now my dear man just received a call that he is what they call here a contact Covid case. So, out come the masks at home, yet again. This is the 3rd time that one of us has been a contact case. I’m sure that there are a lot of you who can relate to all of this. My autoimmune illness adds further stress and constraints to the situation, but I try to remain positive. I’m thankful to have the Bois de Vincennes of Paris nearby to reconnect with nature, and I’m fortunate to have my children and dear sweet man by my side. I cannot complain, nor do I want to because so many have suffered, and my heart goes out to them.
I’ve tried to maintain my Twitter and Instagram accounts, and I know some of you have found your way to me there and I’m thankful for that. Your continued support has meant the world to me.
So, without further ado… What have I been up to?
The French tech show, ORLM, invited me to test out the iPad Pro 7 and the iPad Air 4 for a couple of weeks. They filmed and a little segment of me during one of their shows. As many of you know, I’m not one to put myself in front of a camera, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to test out these to products. This actually changed they way I work today. I loved both but decided on the Pro being better adapted for my needs. Prior to this I was using a computer with an attached graphics tablet. It took some getting used to, and I’m not sure if I ever truly adapted after having to stop painting my large canvases for health reasons.
ORLM episode: http://youtu.be/mD11lIj6j2k My little segment appears around the 37:07 point in the video. It’s in French but you will get the idea. 😉
Oh, and no, I am not sponsored by them or anyone else to say what I am about the iPad (I wish! 😁). I’m sharing this because I have often tried to share my process with you. There’s something about being able to paint or draw directly on the screen that is quite liberating, and the fact that I can physically move around, changing positions, helps reduce the pain I get when I sit or stand in the same position too long. I’m literally lounging on my back while typing this. 😅
I’m thankful that I have been able to find a state of mind that enabled me to create in all of the craziness going on around me. Below are 4 of my most recent creations, each of which were done on the iPad. The piece entitled, Synergy was the first time since I stopped oil painting that I was able to create something that resembled my paintings. I got that incredible same sensation when I realized that it was finished. There is nothing like disappearing into the music, to just create.
Synergy by Bellanda The Synergy of my physical oil painting merged with today’s digital world… a coming together of techniques to create a new mode of expression that enables me to continue expressing myself despite the physical limitations my illness has placed upon me. This is the first of many to come!Transcendence by Bellanda Allowing myself to disappear while I paint is a huge part of my process… there is a moment when I can feel myself let go completely. My brain turns off, so to speak, from trying to control the output. When I stepped back to see what I’d done, this piece quite literally filled my heart and brought tears to my eyes.
Spring Feeling by Bellanda Using my new tools, and new techniques, this piece is different because it was inspired by the beauty I came across during my most recent outing in the Bois de Vincennes of Paris. I started reconnecting with nature by taking long walks because I have felt so isolated from the world this past year. I think it was the first time in quite a while that I actually felt hopeful, as if things were finally going in the right direction. I decided to immortalize the feeling that these blossoms had brought to me.
Innocence by Bellanda A pensive moment during what should be the innocence of youth in the midst of a changing world. It breaks my heart what our children are having to live through during these Covid Days.
In addition to these 4 pieces, I’ve begun a completely new series of what I am calling Collectible Characters (they’re a lot of fun), of which I will feature in my next post. Some have been minted as NFT tokens. This is something I’ve recently become interested in because I think it will change the future of art and artists. I look forward to talking more about this Collection of Characters and NFTs in detail.
In the meantime, I’ve updated my about About Page on this website. It’s a far more detailed piece of writing that lets you truly into who I am and why I do what I do. I will be updating the rest of the website over the next couple of weeks.
Until, then, stay safe… Send any extra positive thoughts and energy our way, as we could use them this week. Due to the Case Contact we are in complete lockdown. My dear sweet man will be getting the first of two mandatory tests Monday. Stay safe, everyone…
Atelier Bellanda: Oil Paintings, Photography, Mixed Media, Digital Art & NFTs 