Our core values are respect, knowledge, creation and preservation of the arts.
Bonnie J. Smith
Bonnie J. Smith is an international textile artist. Having been injured in her workplace.
When doctors told her she could exercise again she chose swimming. Swimming is a wonderful and weightless activity. When your body hits that water and one arm go over the other that muscle release relaxes every muscle in my body. "I took that time to think about myself and what I might want to do in the future, my husband took pictures of me swimming, and I loaded the pictures on the computer, then I abstracted the pictures on the computer screen, it seemed that automatically my story was coming to life. The next step was to start making patterns for the textile artwork. My abstract drawings became the beginning of the series. First, was “Swimming Upstream" I then sent a picture of the finished textile to a local art director, and I asked him to critique the work. He seemed to like the finished textile, and I asked about creating the works larger and adding to the story. He was positive. That was all I needed to keep telling my story. The series is now twelve pieces. Each finished textile is 65H X 35W.
Having such a large art project to occupy my time on a daily kept me focused as the amount of stitching the 12-piece series required was overwhelming. But guiding those large textiles under my sewing machine every day was the best hands-on therapy I could do for myself through the healing process. Finally, I could see my old life returning and it did. I was excited for others to see the finished series, and I had hoped they would bring them joy and healing also. That really has happened. People relate to the series and can see themselves swimming upstream through life however that might look for them. The series has now traveled the globe traveled twice across the United States, received numerous awards and has been written about in many publications. Always remember ‘art’ is what you create. What do you want to say about your story.
Creating the series forced me to look at myself very closely. What I learned was I have a creative soul that needs very little direction a skill I never knew I had.