“My work is a layered combination of intaglio etching, painting, drawing, stitching, collage and gold leafing. My etchings serve as the foundation of the piece, allowing me to explore the picture plane around them with my mixed media and narrative elements. The bear etching in this piece is reaching out, sitting hopefully, wishing for release from her burdens (both real and imagined) in the form of balloons and their strings. Bees are coming to the rescue, cutting ties with her worries, and offering some small relief.
After a long year, this bear is me (and probably all of us) as gears shift, and we dip our toes back into the lives we used to lead before 2020 changed so many things for everyone. The scissors the bees carry are from sewing patterns, a perfect metaphor for putting the pieces back together after they have been torn apart and reimagining a new reality.” - Amanda
