I was working in the building trades. I found myself unbalanced by developing painful arthritis in my back and shoulders. I desired my work and found that balance in Art. I used the techniques I learned as an industrial painter in my Art to satisfy my passion for building and healing.

After establishing a thriving art practice with recycled building materials. I had to step in to care for a father with dementia. This took up all of my time. I needed more time to find time for my multiple-layered building material process.

When playing with soft pastels, I  could pick up a stick of color, make a swatch, put it down, and return to the grind on other things. This has taken over for now.

Some paintings are simple strokes of an active resting process to calm my spirits. These include landscapes and abstract images derived from river rocks I collect from my walks through Montana.

Other works I am fascinated with abstract writing in my Art, wanting to express my struggles with dyslexia and PTSD. I love playing with this in soft pastels, which led to my experimenting with cognitive therapy. I start this process by writing out my negative thoughts with pastels; I smear them into the background to create an underpainting. Then I layer positive thinking words on the top for my mark-making to build my image. This becomes a fun puzzle that moves my mind away from racy thoughts; my words change from a forced thought process to something more present and relaxed in creating the painting. I combined this with starting a Plein Air art group. Plein Air meaning-of or relates to painting in outdoor daylight. We go to local parks and trails to be outdoors and paint the scenery as a group. This grouped several things that I needed help finding separate time for and put them all into one event—socializing, meditation, cognitive therapy, exercise, vitamin D, and I was getting my artwork done. Using the word writing cognitive therapy process to build the landscape outdoors strengthened the effects of loosening my muscles and clearing my thoughts. 

 This Plein air work helped me through the Covid pandemic, having to step in and take care of my father with Alzheimer's Dementia and make my artwork deadlines. This has developed into a powerful tool. A tool that this year, I was invited to volunteer to teach these processes in summer classes to troubled youth and their family.  

 I am a creator. I am like water and air. Art allows me to work around my physical and mental disabilities, gives me the strength to continually adapt and move around life's obstacles, and be flexible as a mother, supporter, and caretaker to my family. It makes me valuable and gives me purpose.

Thanks for taking a moment

Amanda K. Bielby