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. 

FINE ART AMERICA https://atelier-bellanda.pixels.com

REDBUBBLE https://www.redbubble.com/people/AtelierBellanda

Aura has been uploaded to my FINE ART AMERICA and REDBUBBLE Shops and is available for Prints and Merchandise:

Looking forward to what’s ahead, as we continue this journey together!