Bonnie Smith
As a designer, I visit art galleries to meet artists and learn about new art in the world, that’s how I met Bonnie J. Smith. “She is a California based textile artist whose artworks have been exhibited at United Nations Headquarters around the globe. Smith’s textile artworks have also been exhibited in London, Paris, Japan, and Taiwan to name a few locations. Smith is a self-taught textile artist who has taken Master Dyeing Studies from Joan Morris, a professor at Dartmouth University. In 2016 Smith was the recipient of the “Leigh Weimers Award and Grant”.
Bonnie created the celebrated textile series “Swimming Upstream”, which tells her story of recovery after a work-related injury that forced her to use a wheelchair for over a year. Once the textile series was completed she realized the artworks were not just about her but anyone trying to swim upstream through life. The series has been exhibited widely and received “The Health Care Heroes Award” from VotersInjuredatWork.org and was featured at The Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, United Kingdom in 2017.
(Click on each photo to view it larger).
Swimming Up Stream
Thoughts of the Mind, Interpretation in Indigo
Her indigo installation “Thoughts of the Mind, Interpretations in Indigo” and the subsequent book of the same name tell her story of persecution endured by her, her family and surrounding neighbors while living in a small town because they belonged to the out of favor religion.”
For this installation, she dyed 60,000 feet of string in a bath of Indigo blue. Imagine!
The book is available at https://www.blurb.com/b/5239967-thoughts-of-the-mind-interpretations-in-indigo
In her words, she says: “My textile artworks are about what I see and know. What I see is the terrain of California and specifically the drought that is affecting my state. Watching the progression of our environment into an abyss has overwhelmed me. Creating my textile artworks has allowed me to push this alarming message further out into the world. She has been invited to exhibit her “Drought” series at Visions Art Museum, San Diego in 2021.
What I know is family and all that the subject entails. As my immediate family has gotten older it became my desire to let my family know how much they mean to me and celebrate them. Many people in our society simply fly under the radar and they need to be celebrated.
It is my aspiration in life to keep telling my stories and that of others.”
Bonnie was a guest in one of my TV shows, titled “Swimming Up Stream” just like her art series. It was a fun show, watch it here, if you like.
SwimmingUpStream – TV Show – On stage Bonnie, Valentina, and Crew
Get social with Bonnie Smith here:
www.bonniejosmithfiberarts.blogspot.com
Image by 13smok from Pixabay
Bonnie participated in my book launch and tour for my new book ©RED-A Voyage Into Colors, Second Edition and as a token of my gratitude she is receiving a color reading of her zodiac sign. She was born under the sign of Cancer (the crab), June 21-July 21. Her element is Water where her soul likes to rest and relax, the Moon is her ruler, a feminine planet. The dominant colors of this sign are White and Silver, secondary colors but equally important are Lavender, Blue, Azure, and Black colors. Now, I understand her fascination with Blue Indigo.
I am going to create a meditation room where Bonnie can think and conceive her future work. I am sure she creates in a space conducive to her art, perhaps this post will give her new ideas. For this exercise, Bonnie must choose a room facing the rising sun or where she can admire the sunset for the entire time she will use this room, a room that has the quality and feel of a garden. Nature is balance and harmony, it provides instant relaxation, that’s the reason I envision a room inspired to nature filled with indoor plants, baubles topiaries, and driftwood.
To satisfy her Cancer element, the room must have a large vase with shells in the sand, scented plants, a water fountain to block external noises and emulate the sea waves movement.
Moonstone is the most appropriate stone for a person born under Cancer, other personal touches might be soft music, bells, wind chimes, artwork, beeswax scented candles, and anything that makes a peaceful environment.
Each color has a psychological value and influences any emotion. The mood I want to create for the meditation/creation room is soft and harmonious. I will limit the color combination to three or four colors. In her fabric creations, Bonnie uses a lot of indigo blues, thus this room will have azure walls and large dark blue throw pillows. However, light blue walls can make a room feel chilly, to balance this effect warm hues accessories, furnishing and fabrics will do the trick. Natural light is very important for this room, and sheer window treatment is equally important to let it blow softly in the breeze and carry the scents of nature in. The floor is rigorously real wood treated in the silver-grey wash and some comfortable white (dominant colors) club chairs will complete the picture.
Meditation Room-ColorConcept for a Cancer born person
This concludes the series of color readings. I want to thank everyone for your participation in my book launch and tour. It has been fun and rewarding, I am very grateful to have had the chance to know a bit more about all of you and that is priceless. Thank you. 🙏🏻
Now, allow me a bit of shameless promotion for my new book release of ©RED – A Voyage Into Colors – Second Edition. It happened at the end of last month and a lot of fine authors or artists are helping to take the book on tour.
©Red-A Voyage Into Colors-Second Edition – Valentina Cirasola
The book is all about colors, color emotions, color vibrations, color atmospheres, color compositions, color analysis and any which way one wants to use them: in design the interior rooms of any space, in fashion, in food, and/or in more mystical ways. Just remember, colors speak a message, your message…
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Valentina
Copyright © 2019 Valentina Cirasola, All Rights Reserved
Valentina Cirasola is an interior-fashion designer, author of 5 published books so far, a storyteller, and a blogger of many years. She has conceived a few new books of various subjects to which she is working simultaneously. Her books are non-fictional, practical ideas to apply in the home, fashion, cooking, and travel. She never gives up trying new things and doesn’t fear failure. A couple of years ago, Valentina became a TV producer/host. Valentina Design Universe is the label under which she produces her shows in the studio and online. The goal of her shows is to entertain, inspire and inform, while she is living her passion. Get a copy of her books on
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