Hello Art Patrons
My news is different this quarter. Instead of art, I was accepted into a Writers Intensive sabbatical in the Guatemalan jungle, on the shores of Lake Atitilan. The Mayan people call it Hummingbird Lake, which eerily mirrored a painting I had just completed, a hummingbird feeding on a trumpet.
After a harrowing five-hour jungle drive and an exhilarating speedboat ride, we mercifully arrive at Casa Paloma’s lake house, surrounded by a dozen hillside casitas, tucked under a canopy of trumpet vines. It stands directly across from a jaw-dropping volcano. No roads — everything’s delivered by boat or footpath above. My bags are taken, and I amhanded a mango margarita, offered a colorful Mayan woven shawl, and led to a grassy terrace with a long lake-view table. I met two teachers, a yoga goddess, ten published women writers, and mindful critics. New best friends all. There’s unlimited homemade guacamole and warm tortillas. It is magical.
Climb the spiral staircase to my porch tower. On dormant volcano watch, I sleep after the Mayan shaman eased my insomnia with a feather and a chant. I burn my cares in the fire.
When I’m home, I continue to write brief, concise, and truthful stories. I decide to paint small botanicals for a while. I need to spend time writing and making Bug Hotels because soon after my return, I had BIG FUN at the Piedmont STEAM Maker Faire, demonstrating techniques for would-be Bug Hotel makers. “The students, parents, and locals asked thoughtful questions, prepping me for another Bug Hotel demonstration this Fall for our local Garden Club. I have some habitat biodiversity studies to catch up on. “Yay for women in STEAM,” my fledgling nurse/granddaughter declares.
As for painting, I painted a small pink rosebud in an accordion journal, a magnified walnut in the shell, a poster with a crown, and helped my Cal ‘69 college friend paint a freeway overpass banner. Yep, that was ours.
My final event of the season is now at the Rockridge Library. I’d committed to a solo exhibit for June and July. To my dismay, I was asked to hang, label, and price the artwork on my birthday, but I’d vowed to go small. So I decided on a small works exhibit. No labels, no prices, just 40 small works — $40. The art is printed and framed in antique and reclaimed small frames I’ve collected over the years. And they fit into three cardboard boxes. I hung them in one hour, no order, just plucked from the box and hooked. I like this idea!
40 Small Works by Bonnie Bonner
Rockridge Library
5366 College Ave
Oakland, CA 94618
Monday-Saturday, hours vary
OaklandLibrary.org
Let’s paint, write, cook, and garden this summer. Try something new. Excite your right brain.
Yours,
Bonnie Bonner
aka Joanne Palamountain
http://www.BonniesBotanicalArt.com