Living at Upper Grange in Stroud and working at Ruskin Mill Trust in Nailsworth has awaken the artist in me. I have a plethora of photographs and love being inspired by the local artists and natural beauty of my environment. I found a well-stocked art store, Kendrick Street Gallery, near home and purchased an easel — a self-imposed visual message for me that there are no more excuses! No more graduate school, family responsibilities, or daily errands. Time to re-explore my creativity and art that has been dormant for too long. Enjoy!
My first art piece: “A Little Bird Told Me” multimedia on w/c paper (app. 18″ x 18″)
When I first got to England, I was flat on my back for 10 days with a pinched nerve. I was alone in my “room in the sky” at Upper Grange — the walls are painted in soft blues, pinks, and fluffy clouds (photo below). I had a lot of time to think about where I was in my life and what the heck I was doing in England, Stroud for that matter. I was 5371 miles away from my family when I needed them the most!
In come the ladybugs (they are called ladybirds in the UK). The ladybirds usually clustered by my open window overlooking the garden. One or two brave ladies would fly over to my desk or bed then magically return to the window sill. “Ladybird (ladybug)” was the first piece I worked on and finished after “A Little Bird Told Me.” (above: watercolor, 6″ x 6″, 2012)
“Astrological Chart” is a multimedia piece: collage, watercolor, ink on canvas. I collected various mementos of things throughout my days here in England that spoke to me and what came out was this memorable collage. In between the images I wrote excerpts from my current astrological path that my dear friend Maria sent me — a real keepsake. This was my third art piece and really fun to design.
“Nabi” was inspired by a gorgeous card that I bought from one of the local bookstores in Stroud. She reminded me of someone from home, and I just had to do my own artistic interpretation of the card. “Nabi” is my first attempt at acrylics on canvas, so before I jumped into the painting, I sat with the empty canvas for a while before I put paint-to-brush-to-canvas. “Nabi” is an acrylic on canvas, 12″ x 18″ (2012).
Coming up next week: “Saturn Return,” watercolor 12″ x 18″
Barbara Bonardi studied art at Dominican University of California from 2004 to 2008 under the guidance of Lynn Sondag, Edythe Bresnahan, Livia Stein, Patsy Krebs, and Neil Wolfe. She also attended Rudolph Steiner School of Design from 1978 to 1981. Her most memorable art experience is working with children and elders. Barbara worked as an art instructor for Art with Elders in San Francisco teaching wheelchair-bound elders to paint. She has also worked with the Imagine Bus Project as a children’s “green” art instructor at Laurel Dell School in San Rafael. Barbara Bonardi is the founder of Green Art for Kids in Marin, CA.
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