artwork by jessica bonin

what it takes

2011-10-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

you have to start somewhere. when designing, i usually take an "idea" from my client, and give it my best first shot. then, with advice from them, i am able to steer the design, to make edits and various attempts at getting it just right. because a logo is something you want to love, live with, and look at again and again. sometimes it happens right away, i hit the nail on the head, and sometimes it's a lengthy process. but eventually, by hook or by crook, we will get to the finished product. here is a list of preliminary design ideas for a client that shows just how an idea can transform. none of these are the finished product.

it's the water

2011-10-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

watercolor on canvas

for the grand-reopening of JINX/make-shift, bellingham wa

24x36

blues

2011-10-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

private commission

for the proud new owners of bow hill blueberries

watercolor, 9x12

logo designs

2011-06-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

hand-hewn logo designs

for future large scale hand-painted enamel & metal road signs

recent exhibits

2011-05-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

the old town cafe, bellingham wa

the table, bellingham wa

jinx show, april 2011

2011-05-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

the fountain of youth

new work

2011-02-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

wildcraft

2010-09-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

hand-drawn silkscreen/goco book cover design

community science toolkit illustrations

2010-09-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

invasive species and diseast

pollution

climate change

destructive fishing practices

overfishing

illustrations for the Community Science Toolkit

created by the Sustainable Development Network,
West Africa Region, World Bank

motorbike mania

2010-08-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

2.5' x 4'

2003

good natured

2010-08-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

patience

16" x 22"

moth boy

20" x 24"

(inquiries: pollodelviento@yahoo.com)

eli moore

2010-07-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

watercolor & ink on bristol

8" x 10"

2010

la familia del viento

2010-06-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

la familia del viento

acrylic on nesting dolls

for the "nesting" show @ the lucky dumpster

2010

kitchen wisdom

2010-06-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

kitchen wisdom

mixed media on found plaques

for the "locals" show @ the edison eye

2010

to the rescue

2010-04-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

this is a mobile i did about the passing of my mother. it came to me in a flurry just a couple months after she died. it represents the notion of a whirlwind rescue effort gone awry, the serenity and beauty of death, a swift escape into the afterlife, and the eternal child that exists within even amidst turmoil.

family album

2010-04-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

james' grandma mickie is an amzing painter and photographer. she and her husband gordon lived for a long time on the beaches of Tahuya, where all the families would gather. hoards of grandchildren could romp around wild in the sand and saltwater. mickie let me borrow her envelope of photos for a spell, knowing that i loved musing over children and their activities, and the beauty of the landscape, & knowing that we shared this source of inspiration for our work. it was a delight to see her sense of composition and beauty, and i knew that these weren't simply snapshots, they were pieces of art. these paintings were done a couple of years ago and given to the family as gifts.

portrait

2010-04-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

i get a lot of requests for pet portraits. since every animal has a unique personality, they can often be challenging, especially if (as in this case) i've never met the pet. i always try to "capture the essence" of the energy i see, in photos or in person. it's not always perfect, and i've even missed the mark completely before and had to start from scratch! this one was painted in december for a christmas gift, and traveled all the way to california, to it's happy recipient.

the anatomy of optimism

2010-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

found slides, thread, x-ray viewing lightbox

to me, the seed represents optimism. this piece came together serendipitously: i was given a box of seed slides as a gift. i knew that i wanted to have them illuminated with light, but with each slide meticulously hand-labeled in its latin name and stamped with a date, the cardboard surrounding the image was nearly as alluring. i stumbled across a free x-ray box that needed some wiring help...hence this sculpture was born. i have been "quilting" photos together since art school, this was an obvious application for me-- stitching images to make a greater image. finished, the piece references my experience with my mother; through the process of her illness and all of the hospital procedures--scans, x-rays, exams, poking, prodding--there was the eternal element of hope, of optimism. she always considered me her prodigal "seed", a way for her to work way beyond her mortal means.

spirit birds

2010-04-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

birds have a ton of energy, light & electricity: here are two of my favorites.
these paintings didn't seem finished until i gave them that extra spark.
framed in rustic barn boards by james from the lucky dumpster.

scrapplique

2010-04-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

the finished scrapplique pieces, mounted on vintage fabric in a quilter's hoop

laurelhurst at dusk

2009-12-09T17:47:00.001-08:00

private commission
12" x 22"
2009

let the good times roll

2009-12-09T17:43:00.001-08:00

privately commissioned illustration
8" x 10"
2007

goddess collages

2009-09-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

goddess of water

goddess of sisterhood

goddess of the nest

goddess of the hunt

goddess of fertility

goddess of cycles

goddess of passion

small collage sketches for future paintings

beam block birds

2009-09-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

goldfinch
7" x 7" x 2"

bohemian waxwing
7" x 10" x 2"

barn swallow
7" x 10" x 2"

inquire for pricing

caribou love rut

2009-09-20T11:40:00.001-07:00

mixed media on canvas
3' x 4'

map baskets

2009-09-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

shotgun prospect area, alaska

baskets made from laminated infrared topography maps
showing speculative mining sites in alaska

from the bottom

2009-08-11T14:01:00.001-07:00

collage, 22" x 27"
made for the cover of my upcoming album, this collage uses many of the bird imagery i've painted over the last several years. it came to me in a rare impulse of inspiration. after hours of maniacal cutting and assembly, i realized the last bird left to apply to the piece was the hummingbird at the bottom of the heart. this mysterious little bird has come to symbolize my mother: i asked her, as she was leaving this life, if she was ever reincarnated what she would like to come back as. she said "a hummingbird". this piece is a letter to her.

to the coast

2009-08-10T15:34:00.001-07:00

watercolor, 10"x 20"

from a photo by chris worth
commissioned for the cover of an upcoming album by the Caps

supergraphics

2009-07-29T12:36:00.001-07:00

In addition to my painting commission, three of my photographs were chosen to be used as "supergraphics"; two as headboards and one as a hallway piece. I have been an avid 35mm photographer for years, but most of my photographs have been used as inspiration for paintings and not exhibited. It was exciting to have my work chosen and then see the images blown up larger than life!

550 paintings

2009-07-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to do 550 guestroom and suite paintings for the newly renovated, LEED gold certified, Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Portland. Each guestroom contains a diptych of two original art canvases. The suites contain anywhere from one to nine canvases. They were done in assembly line fashion, yet each painting is completely unique. I approached the 12"x24" canvases in sets of 44, attached to the wall in a unit as if they were a single piece. In this fashion I was able to create an installation in my studio, to later dissect the large piece as individual pieces. The paintings were created in stages using a the layering of color fields, with various techniques in applying and removing paint. The canvases were made by family-owned business Artist Brand Canvases in ElMonte, California. I used post-consumer acrylic house paint from the Re-Store.

crossing disciplines

2009-07-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

after working tirelessly for several months on a commission of 550 abstract paintings for a new courtyard marriott in downtown portland, i found myself reluctant to jump right back to painting. i've taken up sewing as a momentary reprieve, using similar subject matter and transposing the color fields to pieces of fabric. i've got lots of new pieces!

CLICK HERE
to visit my stitchery blog.
love, jess

mother & child

2009-01-13T12:15:00.001-08:00

one for all

2009-01-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

the nines hotel: georgian room

2008-12-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

"The historic Georgian Room Restaurant, named for its formal Georgian style interior, exemplified the glamor and décor of colonial England in the 1800’s, with lavish draperies and luminous chandeliers, wainscoting, posts and columns, ceiling beams, and moldings all painted “Williamsburg Green”. For decades it was the place to go in Portland for high tea, fashion shows, bridal shows, dances, and holiday events. The new “Georgian Room” features several architectural and aesthetic attributes of its namesake. This salon-style installation of vignette paintings exudes the qualities of the Historic Georgian Room during an era of high fashion and elegance."

Installation located inside the Nines Hotel, on the eighth floor of the Landmark Meier & Frank building in downtown Portland.

click on the title above to link to the hotel website

a waterproof case

2008-12-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

My second published work as an illustrator was recently released. It is called "A Waterproof Case" and was published for World Water Monitoring Day by the WEF & EPA. This book is a sequel to a book called "the Murky Water Caper", written by Deborah Rodney and illustrated by my late mother, Diana Rice Bonin. This new book hosts the same characters that my mom introduced in 2001, Detective Michelle Tuesday and Reggie the Rat, and is intended to raise children's awareness of waterways and ecosystems. This project was an amazing opportunity for me to channel the spirit, talent and joyful imagination of my mother while experiencing an immeasurable sense of loss.

Please click on the title above to order your own free copy.

In loving memory and gratitude of Diana Rice Bonin

fort vancouver coloring book

2008-08-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

I worked on this book while i was caring for my mother during the last six months of her life. She had worked as an illustrator for most of her life, and had done many projects for the fort. Because of her illness, she was no longer able to do the work for this book. Reproductions of her oil paintings can be seen on the f.v. site, and help recreate a visual concept of what it was like.. This project could not have been done without her guidance, advice, example, and encouragement, as it was my first real venture into historical graphic illustration. The published book also includes five of her illustrations. I tried my best to imitate her style and create a fluid piece. We were a wonderful team.. this piece is a testament to the large influence of Diana Rice on my life and work. all images copyright jessica bonin 2008. This book is available for sale at the fort vancouver gift shop for 3.75+tax.

sketchbook

2008-03-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

translate/illuminate
ink & gouache on found kanji paper

my paintings on design sponge

2008-02-14T13:15:00.000-08:00

my work was recently in design sponge
hanging in the house of portland artist trish grantham.
here are a couple of the pictures:

here's the link to the article

more photos on flickr

sketchbook

2008-02-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

mixed emotions

graphite & marker on paper
7" x 9"

sugar

2008-02-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

just a spoonful
15" x 33"
acrylic on wood

baby animals

2008-02-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

niki with smokie
oil on canvas
31 x 39

ocean with kid
oil on panel
19 x 29

little oinker

2008-01-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

little oinker
oil on panel
48"x 48"

on display at the concordia coffee house
ne alberta street, pdx, or

grandpa cece r.i.p.

2008-01-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

baby cecil with goat
12"x 24"
a gift for mom
2006

pixie project

2008-01-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

amy sacks of pixie project with her rescue animals
framed gouache & graphite sketches
8" x 10"
private commission

andy and the white house

2008-01-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

andy and the white house

48"x 72"
private comission

red flatbed

2007-11-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

farm international
oil on canvas
25"x 25"
private commission

prize catch

2007-11-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

sutterer boys with fish
oil on canvas
30"x 30"
private commission

household items

2007-11-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

dog portrait

2007-11-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

30"x 30"
private commission

alberta st. landscapes

2007-05-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

washhouse
sold

rex walker
sold

acme glass
sold

arthur cole
sold

don pancho

reindeer

2007-03-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

reindeer
14.5 x 32
mixed media

cinema 21

2007-02-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

commissioned as a gift to Cinema 21
for hosting the benefit screening of "Queens of Heart",
a documentary about Darcelle XV nightclub in portland.

bungalow portrait

2007-01-13T18:18:00.000-08:00

private commission, nfs

poe portrait

2006-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

portrait of poe
private commission

me & display

2006-11-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

located at heinz records/pink martini hq
2006-7

portlandscapes

2006-10-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

white stag
14 x 18
sold

white stag
14 x 16
sold

corno's
14 x 30

ballou & wright
11 x 13
sold

grant high
13 x 16

laurelhurst
13 x 16

white stag
16 x 16
sold

bomber
16 x 23
sold

oregonian
11 x 17
sold

mary's club
10.5 x 14
sold

7 bucks a wack
8 x 13.5
sold

prescott towers
11 x 21
sold

union station
11.5 x 15.25
sold

steel bridge
11.5 x 16
sold

palms motor hotel
11.25 x 13.5
sold

bishop's house
14 x 24
sold

whittaker middle school
11 x 18

oregon leather
11.25 x 13.5

home ec.
14 x 24
sold

white stag
18 x 18
sold

elk statue
11 x 18

728 sw 1st
11.5 x 18

nfs

temple beth
12 x 13.5

hung far low
14 x 24
sold

white satin sugar
11 x 16

paul bunyan statue
10.5 x 17.5
sold

spanish lesson

2006-09-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

the images for these paintings were appropriated from a 1978 spanish textbook.
sold

portlandscapes

2006-09-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

from the collection of Thomas M. Lauderdale

heinz

2006-08-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

a portrait of young heinz
private commission

portlandscapes

2006-05-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

berg building
11 x 17

alameda view
sold

airport tanks
sold

steaks

sold

ranch deluxe
14 x 31

sold

foodvilla
14.5 x 22
sold

house & clouds
14 x 21
sold

mill
14 x 21
sold

jet airliner
11 x 21
sold

prop plane
11 x 22
sold

st. john's bridge
11 x 15

union station
15 x 11

large scale portlandscapes

2006-04-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

train bridge
sold

7up
sold

pumping station EC-1
sold

appliance store
sold

track lines
sold

castle rose
sold

fremont bridge from below
sold

tractors
sold

portait

2006-04-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

simon del viento
9x16.5
nfs

botanicals

2006-04-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

rose
15.5 x 16
nfs

hens & chicks
45 x 37
sold

mint blossom
15.5 x 16

bleeding heart
7 x 12
sold

poppies
13.5 x 22
sold

passion flower
sold

christmas cactus
13 x 13.5
nfs

butterfly bush
15.5 x 16
nfs

oxalis
26.5 x 12

lavender
12 x 12
sold

garlic
8.5 x 12.5
sold

orchids
sold

ecinacea
15.5 x 16

artichoke
sold

fairy wand
sold

nasturtium
sold

portlandscapes & more

2005-11-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

willoughby
sold

hinson memorial
sold

downtown tower
sold

harrisburg station
sold

white satin sugar
sold

sad semi
sold

people

2005-10-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

birdies

2005-10-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

on a finger
sold

longbill
sold

milk thief
sold

mama
sold

winter waxwings
sold

big blue
sold

mama
250

home w/ dinner
sold

four hungries
sold

mama
sold

wheatear w/ caterpillar
sold

people & animals

2005-10-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

(note: all paintings under this listing are sold)

animals

2005-02-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

big eyes
22" x 22"
sold

precious parcel
14" x 22"
sold

pet portraits

2005-01-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

americana landscape

2005-01-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

hiker's delight
15 x 24
sold

glacial lake
36 x 48
sold

viewers at hoodoo
14 x 22
nfs

minerva hot springs
21 x 25
sold

morning glory pool
14 x 22
sold

repose
12 x 18
nfs

old faithful
12 x 18
sold

viewers
14 x 36
sold

green retreat 1&2
12 x 24
sold

ravine
25 x 25
sold

cavern
12 x 12
sold

hill & dale
12 x 36
sold

bunnies

2004-12-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

hands full of bunnies 2
sold

hands full of bunnies 1
sold

companion
sold

run bunny
sold

daydreams

2003-12-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

daydream 1&2
acrylic on canvas
36"x48"
sold

2003

show fliers

1990-03-16T22:46:00.000-08:00

cart for legacy children's hospital

1990-02-23T18:31:00.000-08:00