What do you do when you're expecting a baby during all this? Amy Malbeuf is beading it into her work

In our self-shot video series COVID Residencies, we're checking out how artists are adapting their practices in isolation, whether it's diving into different processes or getting lost in their sketchbooks.

We've featured artist Amy Malbeuf a couple of times at CBC Arts. Her work is intricate, rigorous and reflects her community and her belief system. She was in the middle of getting ready for Indigenous Fashion Week when social distancing was enforced and the event was cancelled.

Malbeuf is also pregnant — her baby is due in June — and being at home during social distancing has given her time to reflect on what it will mean to give birth at this time and become a mother. It's also meant that she's turned her attention to a project for her little one: a moss bag beaded with the pitcher plant that grows near Malbeuf's home.

In this video, you'll meet Malbeuf as she works on the central motif of the bag. And you may find some serenity in her belief that her baby selected this moment to come into the world. 

Follow Amy Malbeuf here and keep a lookout for the stories we're bringing you from other artists in isolation as part of COVID Residencies. Stay safe, friends!

CBC Arts understands that this is an incredibly difficult time for artists and arts organizations across this country. We will do our best to provide valuable information, share inspiring stories of communities rising up and make us all feel as (virtually) connected as possible as we get through this together. If there's something you think we should be talking about, let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. See more of our COVID-related coverage here.