Hello Heart Marrow Dearies, It is Gemini season!
We are now in a time of curiosity, language, and the sharing of ideas. With Gemini, I also think of movement, birds, and the spreading of knowledge; community and diversity and lightness; communicative generosity and lilt; mischief and quickness and pan. It is the third and mutable sign of Spring, and Gemini will usher us into summer.
And so here we have the fifth edition of the micro-interview series What Lies At the Center? Each month, I invite a guest to the space of Heart Marrow, conducting a micro-interview with a person who brings me awareness and connection- with hopes that their personal genius might bring you some too.
This month I interviewed Bonnie Paisley. Bonnie and I met at Tulip Tree Preschool in 2015. TTPS was a school community that I co-founded and owned for ten years. Bonnie was a dreamy parent to work with because she is an artist; also because she grew up in like-minded schools that centered on the rights and inherent intelligence of children; that were influenced by constructivist education, and the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy.
At one point a co-teacher brought Bonnie's artwork to my attention, and I asked her to collaborate artistically with me. Since we have joined forces on a few pieces, both performative and installation. Bonnie is an inspiring artist and leader in the community. She is the owner and mentor at Paisley Studios in the Lloyd district, where I am a studio member. You can read more about Paisley Studios here.
I feel grateful to have learned so much from Bonnie through her mentorship, friendship, and general laidback / process-oriented vibe. Her continual reminders to return to the artwork itself feel enlivening and potent. The skill and playfulness she brings to her own work convey a focus on technique within wildness; exploration within skill; and reverence for lineage within a singular heart.
You can learn more about Bonnie and her work HERE.
Scroll down to receive her stop-motion animation artwork and written contribution. AND!!- please share this love letter with those who you feel might benefit- using the email or social media button at the bottom of the letter, or simply by forwarding it to them, or reading it aloud.
Enjoy.
Bonnie Paisley's inspiration comes from the feminine domestic sphere. She often explores the intersection of craft and fine art, as well as the terrain between painting and sculpture. Using a wide range of materials that have included found natural and man-made objects, insulation, spray paint, caulking, royal icing, discarded furniture, dishes, fabric, as well as more traditional painting mediums, she seeks to crystalize memories and experiences as evidence of our existence, our connection to others and our connections to place. Her work takes the form of literal confections, large-scale wall collages, as well as newer stop-motion animation videos. She approaches her studio work much like a chef in the kitchen, combining, mixing, tossing, rearranging, and finally serving her creations. _____ Bonnie received her BFA from RISD and her MFA from Portland State University. She is the owner of Paisley Studios, a fine art studio in Portland, Oregon that offers grounding support to artists of all skill levels through visual art instruction and an affordable membership program for womxn artists.