Reclaiming Red
paintings & poetry
2026 Series by Bella Toso
Free Columbia Residency
Window
chalk pastel on paper, 21 in x 28 in, 2026
She observes the multiplicity of the world
the light
the colors
the possibility of choice
Descent
chalk pastel on paper, 18 in × 24 in, 2026
Dives into the depths
carrying with her the Light
She will emerge
not unchanged
She must forget
the truth
RED
watercolor on paper, 15 in x 20 in, 2026
She encounters Red
the essence of Red is mystery
sweet and alluring
wants to tell her secrets
secrets that must be experienced
to be known
Red reveals a portal
She steps through
Morning Glory
chalk pastel on paper, 18 in × 24 in, 2026
She finds herself in a moonlit wood
it is dawn
sun’s rays kiss her cheeks
She is enamoured by his light
and He by her mystery
Twilight Lovers
watercolor and chalk pastel on paper, 9 in x 12 in, 2026
They draw close
fall into perfect harmony
melody of melodies
Love
at twilight
they must part
Heat
watercolor and chalk pastel on paper, 9 in x 12 in, 2026
darkness engulfs the wood
by a chemical reaction
her substance is changed
rearranged
boiling
imploding heat
embers
transform under pressure
Rage
acrylic on paper, 34 in x 44 in, 2026
fire
takes
everything
that keeps her
from
Her
Portal of Death
acrylic and oil pastel on paper, 31 in × 38 in, 2026
in the midst of the dark night
another portal reveals itself
emptier than the emptiness
void upon void without end
paralyzing fear grips her
Death devours all things
in time
Alchemy
chalk pastel on paper, 22 in x 34 in, 2026
infinity surrounds her
spiralling in all directions
planes
points
lines
meeting
where all ends meet
no longer bound by time
life itself takes hold of her
refashions her
remakes her
Cosmic Balance
oil and tissue paper on canvas, 18.5 in x 27.5 in, 2026
She is fashioned in cosmic realms
in the image of perfect balance
imbued by a star
that was once a bird
and a moon
that was was once
an ocean
Leela
watercolor, chalk pastel on paper, 15.5 in x 18.5 in, 2026
in spiralling of opposites
a new life begins
the ever diverting
cosmic game
the name?
Leela
Gestation
chalk pastel on paper, 15.5 in x 19 in, 2026
convex
concave
growth
decay
form
in talks
with the stars
Rebirth
oil on wood, 12 in x 12 in, 2026
from the two
something completely new
sunlight in ocean depths
a seed
an egg
a world is broken
light shines through
the cracks
☧
oil on wood, 12 in x 12 in, 2026
a final portal
☧
between
heaven
and earth