Welcome! I’m Ananda Amenet Reid.

I’m drawn to painting empowered women and try to capture a quality of divine femininity. I love mythology and that instructs the symbolism in my work, which attempts to convey expressions beyond the obvious. My work includes animals, often those that symbolise spiritual qualities and portray meanings from myths and legends.

‘Divine Feminine’ is a thought-provoking collection of paintings that delves into the sacred and empowering nature of intimacy, sensuality and sexuality in women. Through these artworks, I am celebrating the beauty, healing, and connection found in expressions of womanhood, focusing on the experiences of women who have embraced their power. Each painting attempts to capture an essence of divine feminine as a natural, sacred, radiant and empowered energy, inviting viewers to reflect on the profound depth and strength of feminine spirit.

The ‘Spirit Animals’ series features paintings that are channeled from the source of archetypal animal consciousness. Each painting embodies wisdom, symbols, codes and keys held by a particular animal, serving as a conduit for the energies that it represents for Earth and humanity. These works of art convey ancient lore and spiritual teachings through the visual representation of the spirit animal, offering viewers a deeper connection to the natural world and energies that surround us.

environmentally friendly art

link: https://acrylgiessen.com/en/is-acrylic-paint-toxic/

I searched for an alternative to acrylic paint because acrylics are essentially plastic. Acrylic paint is not biodegradable or sustainable and not good for the environment. It cannot be safely washed down the drain because it introduces micro-plastics into the waterways and eventually the sea. If disposed in landfill, it will never degrade.

When searching for an alternative, I discovered Brusho crystalline powders and really enjoy working with them. They are transparent, highly pigmented watercolour inks that come in the form of a dry, crystalline powder. The colours are vibrant, which is very me, and they have a responsive and playful relationship with water, which I love. They are impossible to control, one must go with the flow and working with them is all about surrendering.

The resulting paintings are expressive and unpredictable, often with a kind of vulnerable delicacy about them.

Crystalline powder paintings are archival quality paints.
The powders contain no animal ingredients or by-products, they are non-toxic and not tested on animals.
That said, when on canvas rather than paper, Brusho pigments sometimes need to be fixed to make them suitable for display in your home. This means I may use fixative on my canvas Brusho paintings. When the canvas is stable, I will give my customer the option of leaving it unfixed which means it’s delicate and vulnerable, and I have found some of my collectors prefer it that way. As far as I know, there’s currently no suitable environmentally sustainable fixing product available, but I’m limiting my impact. If I find a natural fixative, I’ll be pleased to update my practices.

I also love painting with gouache, which is an opaque watercolour paint. Gouache gives me the strong, bright colours I love and the ability to paint with detail and precision. Gouache consists of natural pigments and non-toxic binders, making it eco-friendly. Gouache and Brusho are beautifully compatible.