FALL/WINTER NEWSLETTER 2025
Hello Art Patrons,
It’s time for our Botanical Holiday Party. Please come to Woodhall in Orinda on Sunday, December 7, from 2-5 pm to enjoy what 18 botanical artists have created this year. Each artist contributes their favorite finger foods, drinks, and botanical merchandise. Don’t miss our famous merch table, which sells out quickly. This year, for your holiday gifting, we made small black umbrellas printed with our bright botanicals. Looks like the hummingbird I painted last winter was prescient. They were everywhere in Guatemala this March, then in September, all over South Africa. I had no intention of taking another international trip this year, but it happened. My number came up, and it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. This trip was about flora and fauna.
 
Eighteen botanical artists beta-tested the ASBA-sponsored travel/study field trip to the Fynbos region of South Africa, where there are 9,000 different species of vegetation, more concentrated than anywhere else on Earth. Two new species were discovered just that month! Our botanical garden visits included Capetown national and government gardens, Stellenbosch University gardens, and spectacular private estates, where we were served warm scones, apricot jam, and South African Rooibos tea poured from a bygone blue-and-white Delft teapot. During our days in the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and its new, quite important, florilegium museum, we were free to study the art, paint, and take guided nature tours of the reserve in open Toyota safari 4x4s, , led by a renowned South African botanist.
It’s spring in the southern hemisphere. Steam rises in the early morning sun, and we bundle up against the chill. We pull on thick ponchos and blanket our legs as we bounce over rutted roads. Botanical field painting is not what you think. Since a single botanical piece can take me up to 25 hours, I only measure, sketch, make color samples, and photograph my chosen specimen in situ. They haul folding chairs for us, but still, my sketches are, well, sketchy. Afternoons, we can hike to ocean caves, paint, whale watch, horseback ride, or take a lazy River Rat boat tour. Too bad the shark cage wasn’t available, because I was tempted. In our rickety ferry boat, birders with long lenses were duly impressed by the Fish Eagle and Kingfisher sightings.
Before the sun sets over the Atlantic, oversized “tea cakes”, frosted like sunflowers, are served near the pool. The menu choices are beyond belief, much of it sourced from the Reserve, including the wine and even gin. South Africans love their gin and tonics. I ate oysters, mussels, pork belly, local greens, and more oysters. We were spoiled as special guests of the landowner and encouraged to spread the word about his Grootbos Foundation for underserved kids, his lodge, florilegium museum, and this amazing all-in-one botanical opportunity. Fundraising is paramount, and the poverty I witness in the Cape Town townships does not escape me when I unfold my cloth napkin. http://www.Grootbosfoundation.com
In the final days, we crossed the mountain pass, heading toward the Indian Ocean, then into the 44,000-hectare Gondwana Game Reserve. The Fynbos flora, beautiful as it is, bursting through the monotone scrub, can’t surpass the thrill of the fauna: the cougar, zebra, lion, elephant, giraffe, hippo, rhino, wildebeest, gnu, and baboons we encounter, some at arm’s length. Except for the cougars, we stay far from the cougars. Unlike the lions, who’d had a night kill and were so tired and full they could barely lift their heads.
Do you know that a rhino, if agitated, can flip your 4×4 with enough power to roll it five times using only its horn? Don’t corner him, just let him slowly cross the road. But it’s September, springtime here, and baby season! Like the doctor’s spank on a baby’s bottom, a newborn giraffe first breathes when it hits the ground from several feet above. We sneak by the tender backside of a four-day-old rhino, hidden in the bush by Mom; a hippo, Mom, and baby, silently surface from a still pond before our eyes. We stare at one another, hushed beyond words.
At sunset, our three safari jeeps join up for “Sundowners” pretzels and jerky, wine, and of course, gin and tonics, clearly a national favorite. From a quiet hilltop overlooking an exploding ocean sunset, vast farmlands lie peacefully below in checkered squares of green where animals live in harmony with man and nature. I take a slow breath and raise my herbal Fynbos gin and tonic. I want to pinch myself so I will never forget.
Yours,
Bonnie Bonner
aka Joanne Palamountain
http://www.BonniesBotanicalArt.com
http://www.BonnieBonner.blogspot.com
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
Dear Art Patrons,
This is the Holiday invitation you’ve been waiting for. Good food, drinks, botanical paintings, and our ever-popular Merch Table with prints, notecards, scarves, wraps, etc. This year’s class project features brilliant flora against a black fold-up tote. I’ll exhibit golden freesia, lonely in my first accordion journal, and the surprise gift painting I mentioned previously, also available for sale in our print rack. On display as well, one or two, always in demand, Bug Hotels — hanging garden art for pollinators. My trumpet vine and hummingbird painting is in progress, and if I get that far, you’ll see the difficulty of depicting tiny fluorescent feathers!
The finished watercolor will be ready for our NorCal 2025 Plants Illustrated exhibition at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens for two weeks in late Jan. The theme, Partners in Pollination, is hummingbird apropos. We’re exhibiting in the Julia Morgan building just past the garden entrance. If it’s rainy, you’ll appreciate the 100-year-old walk-in fireplace, if sunny, you can hike, then have a simple winter picnic on the porch — we’ll hold your goods. Bring a little thermos of chowder and crackers, some crisp persimmon or apple slices, and cheese. If you want to get fancy, bring another little thermos of hot cider or mulled wine. And if you’re me, shortbread cookies.
Plants Illustrated 2025: Partners in Pollination
UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens
Julia Morgan Hall
200 Centennial Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
Jan 22- Feb 3, 2024. 10 am – 5 pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Artists Reception TBA
http://www.botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu
As promised, here is the surprise decoy painting I recently gifted. Turns out it also makes great notecards. I’ll have them packaged at Rocky’s Market in the Leimert district of Oakland, and/or mix and match your own card packs there, choosing from my 60 different botanical artworks. Or email me. This hand-carved pintail duck and call are part of my family history, and I think I nailed it.
Happy Holidays everyone. See you at the party.
Bonnie Bonner
aka Joanne Palamountain
https://www.BonniesBotanicalArt.com
Instagram: @bonniesbotanicalart
https://www.BonnieBonner.blogspot.com
Hello Art Patrons,
I worked on experimental art projects in spring and finally just stopped working altogether this summer, unless you count insurance/roof nightmare work and deciphering 40-year-old Army claim form work. However, one very cool subject I painted makes me happy, but is under wraps because it’s a surprise gift. Show you next time. Another watercolor of freesia in my garden was roughly sketched and colored in a rice paper journal. It’s a start. Then properly watercolored as part of an accordion journal on challenging mystery paper. Better. Next, I tried painting it on black watercolor paper with gouache (thicker opaque watercolor) and, as you can see, I’m in need of help. Mr. Rogers said, When bad things happen, look for the helpers. They’re everywhere.
My helpers are fellow artisans, deserving acknowledgment. I attended Val Corvin’s art reception six weeks ago at Orinda Books and realized that bookshop owner Pat Rudebusch, who offers wall space to local artists, was a former watercolor student of my teacher, Catherine Watters. As a consequence, I have just returned from hanging my own solo exhibit there, and I’m proud to be the Artist of the Month at Orinda Books. Ms. August! My reception is next Saturday, Aug. 17, 2-5 pm. http://www.orindabooks.com
My Art Patrons will not be surprised to learn there will be white cake and bubbly. On exhibit, my tall Aspen diptych is front and center, brilliantly aligned, matched and printed as one piece on canvas by my fine art printer, Tony Molatore, and framed by my multi-talented carpenter friend, Chris Fleming. Chris’ niece, budding artist Sol Blanco, helped hang the exhibit. On my birthday, my real-deal artist friend, DD van Loben Sels, photoshopped the big Aspen on tall black notecards, perfectly illustrating how it takes a supportive network to be a working artist. I want to name and thank these helpers along the way. Come to the reception and let us all eat cake!
Artist of the Month, Orinda Books
Aug 1 – 31 2024
Artist’s Reception
Saturday, August 17, 2-5 pm
Orinda Books
276 Village Square
Orinda CA 94563
http://www.orindabooks.com
The Piedmont Harvest Festival is scheduled earlier in September this year, and I plan to hang art and a Bug Hotel for pollinators in the beautiful airy Japanese Tea House. This is a fun hometown event for families with games, food, art, Scarecrow Alley, a Jazz Fest and a local Garden Edibles Contest. One year I won the prize for Best Compost. Hah! My boys laughed at that one—Mom’s full of it—, but the compost was simply garden clippings and Pete’s French Roast coffee grounds. My freesia loved it—they stayed awake for months.
Piedmont Harvest Festival and Art Show
September 18, 2024, 11 – 3 pm
Japanese Tea House, Piedmont Park
711 Highland Ave, Piedmont, CA 94611
Did you know that if you pick dandelions before they open and place them in a dark cabinet, they’ll open in a week and hold up indefinitely. These were oversized bulging tight green buds growing at Lake Tahoe last month. Now look.
That’s all I’ve got. Thanks Patrons.
Yours,
Bonnie Bonner
aka Joanne Palamountain
http://www.bonniesbotanicalart.com
http://www.BonnieBonner.blogspot.com
You are invited to a
BOTANICAL ART EXHIBITION
and Holiday Party
Sunday, December 3, 2 – 5 pm
501 Orindawoods Drive and Kite Hill Road, Orinda 2023
Featuring the Students of Catherine Watters
Hello Art Patrons,
Thanksgiving seems quickly past and I’ve three back-to-back exhibits to share. This Sunday Dec 3, you and guests are invited to enjoy bites, sips, botanical gifts and art at our Botanical Class Holiday Party at Woodhall in Orinda. Come to see (pictured above) the lavender bouquet I painted in France this summer, and come especially to see my 5 foot Aspen tree printed on canvas, after my Fine Art printer seamlessly Photoshops the original 2018 upper tree image file to the 2023 lower tree image file. Hope the trunk color matches up. See for yourself on Sunday.
Since my last newsletter I’ve been to the de Young Open Exhibit twice, to pinch myself and peruse the art. I strongly advise you to see this stunning exhibit and experience immediate on-topic art created here and now. See mediums and techniques that 887 local artists are using today. It’s approachable and impressive, described in the press as “… a love letter to our incredible Bay Area artist community”. Some of you even sent me selfies with my art in the background. That warms my heart. You have until Jan 7. Free Saturdays for locals. My Japanese Cedar bonsai botanical is #381 titled, Singed by Wildfire, symbolizing hope for our tenacious CA wildfire survivors.
The third exhibit is the January NorCal chapter of ASBA’s Annual Plants Illustrated Exhibition, at the Julia Morgan Hall in the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. The theme is Native California edible plants, a narrow category, so I am showing my only artwork that qualifies, Jeffrey Pinecone. Here’s a chance to see the Pinus jeffreyi original, as it’s my best selling signed and numbered print to date. One reviewer said it “bristles with energy”. Check the UCBG website for upcoming details, reception and hours.
Don’t forget my large signed botanical art cards can always be found at Rocky’s Market in the Leimert District of Oakland. Great for making card packs as hostess and last minute gifts.
BOTANICAL ART EXHIBITION
and Holiday Party
501 Orindawoods Drive and Kite Hill Road, Orinda CA
Sunday, December 3, 2023, 2 – 5 pm
The de Young Open 2023
de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park
50 Hagiwara Dr, SF CA
September through January 7, 2024
Tuesday – Sunday, 9:30-5:15 pm
Bay Area residents free every Saturday.
www.famsf.org/de-young-open-2023
NCalSBA 15th ANNUAL PLANTS ILLUSTRATED EXHIBITION
Edible Native Plants
Julia Morgan Bldg
UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens
200 Centennial Dr. Berkeley, CA
Jan 17 – Feb 4, 2024, 10 -4 pm. Closed Tuesdays
www.botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu
www.ncalsba.org
My New Year’s resolution is to jump at chances in 2024. Did I write you that maybe 2023 was my year to win the Harvest Festival Cakewalk? Yes, I landed on lucky square #16. You can’t win unless you hop on. As well, you remember that, on a chance, I submitted my first ever pen-and-ink artwork to the juried de Young Open exhibit, timed entry at 8 am SF time, from an erratic internet connection in Florence on Italian time. Free and nothing to lose. Now I’m de Young artist #381. Do I feel lucky? I certainly am lucky to have such supportive Art Patrons as you. Thank you all and Happy Holidays. Jump at chances in 2024.
With gratitude,
Bonnie Bonner
aka Joanne Palamountain
www.BonniesBotanicalArt.com
www.BonnieBonner.blogspot.com
Hello Art Patrons,
A shocking email arrived last week and truthfully my jaw fell open. “Congratulations. Your work has been selected by the jury to be featured in the de Young Open 2023.” The de Young Museum is a top US museum destination! I’m convinced my scrawny pen-and-ink illustration of a Japanese Cedar made the cut because of the topical title, Singed by Wildfire. A fellow botanical artist lost all of her original artwork in a California wildfire and I created this piece in her honor. I imagine her finding this tiny tenacious tree in the ashes, symbolizing hope for survivors. You’ll have three months to peruse 887 local artworks hung salon style in the Herbst Exhibition Galleries for this newly established Triennial. They take 0% of sales. This is the Museum’s generous way of supporting local artists. I’m number #7,388 out of 12,000 entries—filled up within 2 hours. Only 11% were juried in. Pretty cool. Come see.
The de Young Open 2023
de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, SF, CA 94118
September 30 2023 – January 7, 2024
Tuesday – Sunday 9:30-5:15 pm
Bay Area residents free every Saturday.
Saturday Sept 30, 11-4 pm. Grand Opening Celebration (live music, pop-ups, screenings).
The last week of September I’ve a trifecta of hometown exhibits. The Piedmont Harvest Festival Art Show in Piedmont Park paired with an exhibit down the block at the Piedmont Center for the Arts, showcasing artists in the upcoming Piedmont Art Walk to benefit art in Piedmont schools. I’ll have one piece in each exhibit and all the rest at the Art Walk on my porch Sunday Oct 1.
Piedmont Center for the Arts
801 Magnolia Ave Piedmont CA 94611
Sept 23 through Oct 1, 11-2 pm
Saturdays and Sundays only.
Artists’ reception, Sept. 29, 5-7 pm, Art Walk Sunday Oct.1, 12-5 pm
Piedmont Harvest Festival and Art Show
Japanese Tea House, Piedmont Park
711 Highland Ave, Piedmont CA 94611
Sept 24, 2023, 11-3 pm
Piedmont Art Walk,
137 Caperton Ave Piedmont CA 94611
Oct 1, 2023 12-5 pm
For patrons who like art and travel, read on. I had some art fun in France and Italy this Spring. Chateau Clos Mirabel in the French Pyrenees was ideal for a weeklong botanical art class and the sumptuous fresh produce was Chateau sourced—to paint and to eat. The desserts and cheeses ohh-la-la, merveilleux, formidable, incroyable! Surrounded by vineyards we wanted for nothing. The bonus? Our teacher is my art teacher at home and French born. During my initial 36 hour airport debacle, I dreamed about lavender so chose that as my botanical subject. Arriving 24 hours late, I was relieved to see it growing in the expansive Chateau gardens. See my take on a farmer’s market lavender bouquet at the Piedmont Art Walk Oct 1.
Next was a visit with my nursing student Granddaughter at summer/fun college in Florence Italy and to pay my respects to Michelangelo’s David. On my birthday, I snagged a lucky no-show ticket to climb into the Brancacci Chapel cupola, up restoration scaffolding, arms length from 14th century frescoes. Then I wandered the Oltrarno district of Florence visiting artists’ working studios. The copper etchings are exquisite. One artist finished watercoloring his etching for me while I lunched nearby on Gorgonzola gnocchi, caprese salad and panna cotta. Look what I bought!
Venice was a first for me. I rambled through labyrinthian passageways and footbridges, hot and lost in crowds until I mastered canal travel and the outer islands. On my first evening I came across a Campanile in a big square with only a ten minute wait to go up, so I took the last elevator of the day to find myself atop THE Campanile in St. Mark’s Square with breathtaking 360 degree sunset views. There’s the Bascillica, Rialto Bridge and the islands and now I see how the canals are laid out. On my final day in Venice, I missed last call for the Peggy Guggenheim Museum because I followed iphone directions until it dropped down a stone stairway right into canal water. In twenty minutes somehow I’d circled back to where I’d begun? Parli Inglese, anyone?
And finally Paris—always Paris where I can speak, somewhat. My art teacher recommended the small Musee Marmottan Monet near the Eiffel Tower. It’s a preserved furnished Edwardian townhouse showcasing the world’s leading collection of works by Monet, as well as works by Manet, Degas, Gauguin, Rodin, Pizarro, Chagall. Finding a basement stairway in the gift shop, I went down and was stunned to stand alone in a room encircled by twelve HUGE Monet waterlily paintings. You can even rent the room for a dinner party. Imagine! Hidden gem-must see-nobody there.
To have a triennial and trifecta at once is thrilling. Last year’s Harvest Festival was rained out so, again THIS might be my year for the Cakewalk win, which coincidentally falls on my wedding anniversary. So I have to ask myself one question, Do I feel lucky? My late husband, Clint Eastwood fan, would respond . . . “Well do ya, punk?” I do.
Caught you smiling. Thanks for reading.
Bonnie Bonner
aka Joanne Palamountain
Hello Art Patrons,
Jollification is my new favorite word and I’m inviting you to enjoy some next Sunday afternoon for our class Holiday Party and Botanical Art Exhibit. I’ll bring the (on-loan) award winning wood nest sculpture and my (work-in-progress) painting of it, as well as some Pandemic era works you may have missed. We will still be masked to be safe. You can count on shopping for botanical cards, tote bags, gift wrap, books, and prints. You can also count on hosted wine, beer and bar bites, artists are good cooks too!
Next up will be the January NorCal Botanical Art exhibit at UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. I’m showing my Valley Oak branch with oak galls. I can’t attend the Jan 14 afternoon artists’ reception but there is a Jan 12 virtual evening tour for all. It bears repeating the Julia Morgan redwood building is spectacular, especially overlooking the garden on a rainy day with a fire in the massive stone fireplace. Ironic if raining, as the exhibition theme is Drought Tolerance.
Here’s something completely different. When an artist friend asked me to paint a kettle for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Auction, I assumed she meant paint a kettle with watercolor on paper. But she arrived with plain red enamel buckets from the SA and acrylic paint, not my medium. Already out of my comfort zone, I have a go at my first Trompe l’oeil which is by definition an optical illusion, to trick the eye. My easy solution (not counting the grueling hand-lettering) was to paint out much of the 2020’s style donation bucket leaving a red enamel 1950s style Salvation Army donation kettle in the negative space. Can you see it?
The bidding went high and we’re thankful for the overly generous Salvation Army donors raising $1,275 on 4 kettles and $138,000 overall that evening.
For holiday nibbles, sips and botanical gifts, text me (510) 604-6141 and bring your friends to my studio, order from my website or stop by Rocky’s Market off Park Blvd and choose signed gift cards to assemble your own packets. Happy Holidays everyone; remember to jollify and breathe—just not on anyone.
Yours,
Bonnie Bonner
a.k.a. Joanne Palamountain
(Search ‘Old Words—New Meaning’ on my blog for a Pandemic laugh)
Hello Art Patrons,
We seem to have lots of summer weather left but fall art exhibits are back on the calendar. Here are the particulars.
From Sand Dunes to Forest: Canopy Trees of Golden Gate Park 150 Anniversary Celebration of Golden Gate Park
Helen Crocker Russell Library
S.F. Botanical Garden
Closed Thursdays and holidays
Piedmont Harvest Festival
Piedmont Community Center
UC Botanical Gardens Plants Illustrated 2023 ‘Drought Resilience’
Julia Morgan Building
I was surprised and honored to find a Jurors Award on my Valley Oak sculpture, ‘Nest of its Own’ at the Bedford Gallery exhibit. I’m grateful for the validation. The piece was sold but my Art Patron graciously offered to leave it with me until I paint it in watercolor. This is my way of keeping the sculpture because we know I can make a three hundred twenty-five year-old piece of wood look realistic in watercolor. Right? I hope so—you just never know.
This extra large Bug Hotel, made from the same Valley Oak (also juried into the Bedford exhibit), will be shown at the Piedmont Harvest Festival Sept 18, as will my completed Valley Oak gall painting. This free hometown outdoor festival has my all-time favorite farmers’ market, kids carnival, jazz fest, scarecrow auction, edibles contest, food trucks, plus the shoji screened Japanese Tea House shades our local art exhibit. Scouts always grill burgers and dogs. See you, hot dog in hand, on the Cake Walk . . . I think this is my year.
 The 150th Anniversary of Golden Gate Park came and went in online isolation. We are finally celebrating the exhibit, ‘From Sand Dunes to Forest’ in person—two years late. The paintings and photography focuses on the early days of the park, when blowing sand dunes threatened to overtake the parkland. Did you know the canopy of trees, depicted in the exhibit, were planted to protect the “Outside Lands” from erosion and it has worked for 150 years? Without them there would be no park. Artists’ Reception Sept 24, 2-4 pm in the S.F. Botanical Gardens. Look for my Coast Redwood painting in the Helen Crocker Russell Library through January 23.
Stay cool. Drink water. Save water. Save power. Stay safe. Boost. Good grief! Like the blowing park sand our landscape evolves and we adjust, but the healing power of art is constant. Use that.
Yours,
Bonnie Bonner
a.k.a. Joanne Palamountain
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