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July/August 2009 Cover Artist
Sugar and Dancing Fuel Fun and Creativity

By Bonnie Taylor Talbot

It was 1996 in Oregon when at the age of 44, I began painting on boards with house paint colors I mixed myself. A self-taught artist, my work is now layers of acrylic on canvas to achieve ribbons of color between objects, sometimes a bit of collage is included, and then hand stamped words and phrases complete the pieces. They make me smile.

I get inspired by many things and when it happens, look out. I drink lots of coffee and eat candy or cookies. I turn the music up and take off dancing as I arrange a little still life or make up a story about chickens and cows. I keep colorful things around me that help when deciding what a painting's eventual color will be as often times the winter grays make it hard to see. And my girlfriends really help when I think I am no longer an artist. They just laugh and say, "Yes you are," and remind me again how much I love to make art.

I paint everyday items mixed with Paris grates (I take my husband's airline miles and travel to Paris as often as I can), crowns (we all have a bit or royalty in us), and chickens and chandeliers delight me. I often think Matisse is watching over my shoulder. And, like him, the bulk of my work is interior - I enjoy painting chairs, plump pears and buckets of flowers. And the last few years I have been painting lots of houses and neighborhoods - I have moved 65 times in my life with the last move completed January 2009. I attempt daily to share my joy through art.

I am a lucky girl.

Artist Bonnie Taylor Talbot, who created Just in Case on the cover of New Connexion, is based in West Linn, Ore. Visit www.ipaintpictures.com.