A Beatific Conversation with Jodi Bonassi

courtesy of the artist

Jodi Bonassi is a Multi-disciplined artist based in Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in various galleries and publications. I got the pleasure to ask Jodi some questions about what inspired her to be an artist, why art is important to her now, and the limitations she faces within art.

UZOMAH: How does art help you understand the world better?

JODI: My head is full of images and thoughts about the world. The process of drawing and painting helps me to make sense of my experiences in a safe way.   I create from an enormous palette of my emotions.

U: What artist or work of art inspired you to become an artist?

J: I always drew.  I cried easily but if I had paper and crayons or paint I was instantly soothed.  When I was seven my dad hired an artist to paint a mural in our living room.  I sat quietly, drawing on paper, watching him for hours.  He was in paint-stained jeans and looked like a wild man.  He must have been in his 20’s.  I was dazed, watching him paint a street scene right on the wall.  It was a small messy house but the painting seemed to change the house into a beautiful place.    Hours went by with me quietly watching.  He stopped and drew a face on paper and asked if I could copy it.  I did and he showed it to my dad.  He acted like it was great.  I felt incredible like he really saw me.   

“Hindsight”

U: What's integral to the work of an artist?

J: Discipline. Artists are emotional and can often give in to emotions.  Even if you're upset, make time to get in your studio. Exercise for an hour every day if you can. Accept that you’re not perfect.

Follow through.  If you are on a project, be dependable and true to your word.

Be on time.  If you are in an exhibition, follow through and be easy to work with.  

Forgive yourself and forgive others.

Don’t compare yourself to others. You are not better than anyone or less than anyone else.

Work on your art skills as much as you can.

Do what is uncomfortable always. If you are avoiding going to the studio ask yourself why,  That’s when you need to be there.  If an art piece is not happening, start sketching in your sketchbook.  Keep your hands moving. Stay in the studio 

View works by other artists. Go to galleries and museums or order books by artists who inspire you.

Be around people who support what you do and who you can support.  Help each other.

Is there a work of art you would like to have in your home next to your own work?

I adore the dramatic portraits of Alice Neel.  I identify her need to paint all the time and not be concerned with the opinions of others.  Neel was known as a painter of souls. I am inspired by two artists’ friends and colleagues, Ruth Weisberg and Leonard Greco. I adore their work and am inspired by them.  They are kind generous people.  Both are dedicated to their art practice and paint authentically.

U: Do you find any limitations in your art or in the art world?

J: There are always struggles as an artist both in art practice and in maneuvering within the art world. Many limitations as an art maker are of my own doing and then I have to push through those uncomfortable moments.  I enjoy the struggle and the joy of the flow. There is no finish line.  You create and then you create again.  It is a marriage. The art worlds are not easy for me to understand.  There are layers of art communities everywhere.  I do my best to place my focus on my work.  I am grateful when invited into an exhibition or a publication and do my best to support those venues.   I am grateful to share my work.

U: How do you show your work if not in galleries?

J: I have shown in galleries since 1993, and have had a few museum exhibitions.  I have a website, Instagram, Facebook and various art sites where gallery owners have shown my work.  Instagram is an easy site to use and connects me easily to other artists whose works I can view and enjoy.

“Crowned Pigeon Brown”

U: Where do you get ideas for your art?

J: I don’t “get ideas”  My work comes from living everyday, and being present.  I am true to my own emotions.  I love listening to people’s stories and feeling what is in my heart.  I slow the moments so I can see more than the surface. When I take my dog for a walk and he stops to smell a bush or a flower, I understand how precious everything is.  I always bring home a few flowers or some leaves to draw from.  I love sketching from life where ever I am, people, the news and now nature.  What ever I am inspired by and thinking about at the moment  goes into the work.

“Monea”

U: Do you sketch from life?  What kind of research do you do to prepare if any for your art?

J: I sketch from life mostly and make up people and patterns.  I doodle a lot in my sketchbooks and experiment.  When I did my metro series I rode the metro for years, drawing while riding to get references. People would tell me stories which incorporated into the work. I took crowd shots with my cell phone when I could.  Those paintings are a mix of people, the news, hopes and dreams of riders and more.  I made up people based on the sketches.  With the bird series, I get references from friends or from thrift store books.  I supplement that by watching a lot of bird documentaries.  I even ordered a bunch of feathers to study and draw from.  Each painting  and drawing takes months to complete.  That’s what artists do.  We are constantly evolving.

“Turaco”

U: Why is art important to you now?

J: There has never been a time when it was unimportant.   There have always been crucial moments in people’s lives and in the world.   I need to paint the people, cultures through my point of view, and my feelings. Harsh experiences are scribbled away onto paper or painted onto canvas in a way to connect to others. I channel out a lot of anxiety in the art process.  In doing this I can see beyond my own fears. Creating art allows me to look beyond myself.  I can breathe.  I can release the dark and paint what is beautiful.  Painting the soft feathers of a bird or creating a pattern based on leaves is a way for me to express that there is something more powerful than ourselves.     

You can find information and updates about Jodi’s work on her website, Facebook, and Instagram.