Bonnie Griffith
Biography
Bonnie Zahn Griffith is a pastelist who works out of her Crooked Creek Studio in Walla Walla.
Growing up as a child in central Montana on cattle ranch, she had plenty of time to explore nature and create. Born to artistic parents she was allowed the freedom to experiment with different media of the art world. Her mother was an accomplished oil painter who tried other media as well; her great uncle and aunt were both professional illustrators. "As a kid, I was always getting into my mother's oil paints, her drawing pencils and good paper. I never wanted to use "typing paper" to draw on; it needed to be "drawing paper" and a "good" pencil. Even though probably exasperated, Mom only gave me encouragement to create."
Bonnie's paintings are representational of the landscape of SE WA, ID, OR and MT. Her goal is to create a piece that draws you into the landscape; letting you enjoy the season, the color, the smells, the beauty of the area. Pastel is her favorite medium because of the rich, pure pigment that allows one to represent texture and color and light so well.
Her work is shown regularly at the Wenaha Gallery in Dayton, WA, Whitman Cellars and Carnegie Art Center in Walla Walla, Allied Arts of Richland in Richland, WA, and Moccasin Mountain Gallery in Lewistown, MT. She is currently working on shows for a variety of galleries and wineries locally and in Mt and OR. Her work is owned by collectors, both corporate and private, throughout the US. Her "Bennington Backroad" owned by Jeffrey and Patrice Townsend and “Late Afternoon - East Fork” owned by Gary Southern are showcased on YWCA Art Auction posters for 2005 and 2007.
"Beyond Bennington", Pastel, 24x18
Statement
I am a landscape artist who mostly works in the media of pastel.
This rich pigment medium allows me to create paintings that have the
brilliance and the bold color we see in the landscapes of the Columbia Valley.
Pastels lets me present this world with rich color and texture. Basically
self-taught, I experimented with a variety of mediums over time.
I came to realize that my best representation of the statement I wanted to make was with pastels.
They allow me to bring depth and texture, light and mood into a painting.
My goal is to create paintings that draw the viewer into the painting;
to experience the time of day, the temperature, the sound, the smells.
Another medium that I work in is paper collage. Combining a variety of papers, inks, art stamps and “found material” I create collages that tell a story to the viewer. This art form is something that makes me think outside of my usual, landscape-driven creativity. My work tends to represent things that are of interest and important to me and that I think would tell a story to a viewer and maybe make them want to pursue something more about the subject or just entertain them. The collages often incorporate gourds or parts of gourds that have been carved and painted. The surface of form for the collage may not be a flat canvas, but some 3 dimensional object.
"There's a Place", Pastel
Events
Le Chateau Winery, Aeronca Ave, Walla Walla Airport
Artist's Reception for Bonnie Griffith April 11, 2009 from 2-4 p.m.
please join us for a glass of wine, conversation and viewing new Pastel works
Raphael's Restaurant, Pendleton, OR
Kelly's on Main, Joseph, OR
Whitman Cellars Winery, 13th & Pine in Walla Walla | Artist in Residence
Awards
"October Water" won a first in the professional division at the Wallowa Festival of Arts '08 in Joseph, Ore
"Along the Wallowa" was given a jurors award in the plein air event at the Wallowa Festival of Arts '08 in Joseph, Ore
Links
Bonnie's Official Site
Bonnie's Blog
Contact
Bonnie Zahn Griffith
Landscape Pastelist
938 Mountain Park Drive
Walla Walla, WA 99362
bzgriff@charter.net