From her heart to the canvas - Amanda Mitchell's love for art remains 'an unsolved mystery'
Published:Monday | April 23, 2018 | 12:00 AMJody-Anne Lawrence
"In the creative world, flow is when one is undeniably absorbed in their craft. There are no inhibitions, there is only you and your masterpiece. My mind empties, my thoughts quiet and I don't think, I just do. It's important to feel present, it's important to put the mind on pause. Flow in life is essential, and my art affords me this."
This is how artist Amanda Mitchell describes why she paints. She started painting at an early age, although its hard for her to identify exactly when. Mitchell was fascinated with colours, shapes and textures. For birthdays and Christmases, the gifts she was most proud of were the ones that she created with crayons, watercolour and oil pastels. This could be because she hopes her paintings will exude happiness to those who get to experience them.
"If I only make people happy and encourage their higher self through my craft, I am blessed," she tells Outlook.
SELF-DISCOVERY
While Mitchell was drawn to painting, she was also exposed to various mediums of expressions - dance, drama and music. Her mother ensured that. But truth be told, she just could not leave painting alone, and that is what she stuck to. She would say that she discovered herself through watercolour and then acrylic. Her paintings seem to flow towards the stream of Buddhism. Mitchell explains that the silent strength of an elephant and the spirituality of the enlightened Buddha, are a motivations for her. It reminds her of the importance of peace of mind.
Since spirituality and self-healing are driving forces for her, and helps to keep her motivated, it comes as no surprise that this is reflected in her paintings.
"Our energy and thoughts dictate our mood, how we feel, how we interact with others, hence our lives - so we need to be positive to attract good things. I paint what I want to manifest in life. It's all about frequencies of love," Mitchell explained about her pieces.
Her favourite painting to date was one that she did while she was in high school. For her sixth-form CAPE SBA in art at Immaculate Conception High, she was required to paint a mural. It was her first time working with acrylic on such a large scale, and this was when she actually realised that this was something that she could do every day of her life.
While her first love is art, Mitchell studied architecture at the Caribbean School of Architecture and currently holds a full-time job. But still, she ends her days at home with her true love - the canvas. Not really pinning down what exactly the future holds in art, she describes it as "an unsolved mystery".