Tonight I am sitting in Beanetics with Bonita talking with her about her work! Her work deals with color, but not color theory, she says.
What do you mean? How is your work about color, but not color theory?
Most people know a little bit about color therapy. This is beyond color therapy. My work occurs at the place where art and science meet, on the border.
Talk to me about the idea of science and art:
Lights and colors cause vibrations. Our bodies interpret this as sound. However, we cannot "hear" these sounds in the typical way. But our inner ear and other sensory perceptions still do exist and operate on a subconscious level.
The paintings I create are about bringing the vibrations to your eyes. Your eyes transport these specific vibrations to every single cell throughout your body. This is photocolor, biological, and chemical.
Can you give me an example?
Yes. My painting, Anthony's Rose, (can be seen on Bonita's website), are 265 very thin layers of watercolors. Each layer has to dry 48 hours before the next layer can be applied. The colors here, the vibrational goals, are to calm the nervous system. These colors are a very light cobalt blue with coral, with an underlying lemon yellow creating the image of a rosebud beginning to open. This connotes the possibility of life with health.
Can you tell me about one of the paintings on display here?
Okay. Let's talk about White Mountain's Glory: The blues in the painting generate calm; specific shades of green are the most dominant is fostering healing. And the silver flecks encourage more calmness. Silver is generally a calmer metal than gold, energetically speaking. Even though there is a lot of wind and sun , lively action in this painting, it was painted in plen air, which invigorates the viewer. The colors cause a deep healing.
Does this same intention apply to "Soaring Swells," which is a very different style of work?
This piece is a very different style on purpose. These continuous active lines tend to attract a great deal of interest from people involved in I.T. and web design as a career. These colors tend to be more turquoise with a combination of cobalt blue, with a touch of deep emerald green, and a dab or two of fuschia, with a lot of white background.
What's the meaning behind your use of these colors?
Since these two careers frequently cause severe eye strain, this design was created and these colors were selected to cause the eyes to relax. It's a simple design with lots of white space without drastic changes.
What role does the fuschia play?
It goes directly to relaxing the heart. So overall, this painting is about relaxing the muscles.
Tell me about the healing intention of "Sweet Dreams."
The entire purpose for Sweet Dreams is to bring in the relaxing effect of the selected blues and greens along with the feeling of the earth, caused by the various shades of ochre, soft yellows, and the use of shadows.
What's the story behind "Sacred Rain with 5 Holographs?" The title is certainly intriguing, and the dog looks very realistic compared to the rest of the painting.
Sacred Rain with 5 Holographs is about energy, complete energy. It opens the heart, opens the heart meridians. It ignites, motivates, connects. It connects you to yourself, other human beings, the land. The reason all this activity happens is that through the eyes the heart and the heart chakras are opened up. The values of reds helps the kidneys to function properly. The purples lower high blood pressure. The violets used lessens inflammation and pain throughout the body. The yellows stimulate the sensory perceptions. The lemon yellow, the golden yellow and the reds stimulate the immune system to increase functioning. The various shades of orange motivates the muscles to cooperate and move together. The lemon yellows facilitate vision perception.
Overall, the painting has 150 layers of thin watercolors. The dog alone has 50 layers. The dog is in the image because it adds a different perspective. It contrasts reality versus abstract. The dog is looking off in the distance to future horizons, as we humans tend to do.
Tell me about the holographs.
When we turn off the lights, five holographs appear to ignite our imagination and surprise viewers. The holographs transport us to another dimension. To know more, you'll have to see the painting for yourself with the lights out.
Lastly, tell me about Flame Within. It has such a richness to it.
Flame Within is a calmer piece. It has more depth to it, with 195 layers of thin water colors. It is an internal piece, fostering your own inner wisdom to deepen and grow. The movement of the lemon yellow and the earthy oranges encourages a meditative state. The gold paper that the painting creates a weightier feel in the body, adding to the deepening process.
Well, Bonita, thank you for the interview. I am sure that the viewers will be very interested in knowing about your use of color and the process you go through to create each piece. It is nice to know that you care so much about the healing qualities of art, and intentionally incorporate the science into what you do.
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