Art is all around us! The natural world offers so much inspiration. I believe if we take a close look at the world around us, we will be more in tune with our environment and being. Focusing in on the details, but not losing sight of the big picture, Art can give us the ability to see the world differently and be more present. I love incorporating a Hawaii Nei aspect to my drawing and painting courses. In those courses, we look at the flora and fauna around us and their cultural significance. This gives my students further cultural connection to the subject of the lesson plus practical knowledge of the world around them.
As a teaching artist, my goal is to facilitate the creative process and help students find their own voice. My approach to teaching starts with defined instruction. I start by giving the students the core fundamentals, working toward individual expression and creation, leading to the develpment of a unique artistic voice.
I enjoy working closely with teachers to meet certain curricular goals and develop a residency that supports their curriculum.
I primarily teach drawing and acrylic painting but have taught many different mediums.
I prefer to teach 3rd grade to adults.
Bonnie Sol has been a working artist for over twenty years. She has been teaching for the past seven years. Her work is inspired by the natural world.
In 1998, Bonnie Sol, graduated with dual degrees from Tufts University(BA in Anthropology), and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (BFA with concentration in Painting). In 2008 she moved back to Hawaii after 20 years living away.
Her art reflects the natural world. Her paintings are records of moments experienced, skies visceral and fleeting, rippling seas, and at times explorations into flora. Her botanicals reflect the complex beauty of nature, light, and form. Her plein air work capture her immediate response to environment in a quick and expressive way. Collectors of her paintings can be found throughout the islands and around the world. They are drawn to her work because, as Bonnie says, “it brings a little of the outdoors inside.”
Bonnie Sol lives in Mt.View, Hawaii, with her woodworker husband, two cats, and a dog named Po. She shows at eight different galleries islandwide.
The Artistic Teaching Partners (ATP) Roster is an adjudicated directory of Hawai‘i professional teaching artists qualified to conduct in-depth residencies in educational settings. Each artist or arts organization has a page in the directory with contact information, a short bio, and an artist statement. The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts draws from this roster for arts education programs including Art Bento at the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum and Artists in the Schools.
