We recently connected with Bonnie Beauchamp Cooke and have shared our conversation below.

Bonnie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

With two young children, leaving the corporate world of advertising to pursue a full time career as an artist was one of the most rewarding yet frightening decisions I have ever made.

Like most families today, we depend on my income to make ends meet. Leaving the security of a salary as the marketing director for an up and coming advertising agency and having to rely on the sales of my art was a struggle at first.

Setting up shop was not easy, I needed a space to work, supplies, and exposure if I was going to make this work. I was fortunate enough to be offered a space in a collaborative studio with a few other artists of various mediums. This was the risk that paid the most dividends. I cannot express enough how, at least for me, important it was to be immersed in that creative environment with other artists. The best comparison I can make is one of being back in a college studio class…the critique and encouragement from my studio mates is essential to my creative process.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In ninth grade, I had a wonderful art teacher who gave me the confidence to explore all aspects of art and technique. In college at the University of Georgia, I became fascinated with Art History and took some drawing and painting classes. I felt like that was my home and I had found the right place for me. I finished college at The Atlanta College of Art which also jumpstarted my professional art career. Most of my professors at ACA were active and influential artists who gave me the courage to embark on a lifetime of creativity.

My themes include nature and my deep connection with animals as well as the human feminine strength and beauty. I have owned dogs and ridden horses since I was five years old. My passion is to capture the graceful lines, flowing manes and the expressive eyes of the horses and other animals. I like to work life-size so the viewer can feel the natural beauty, elegance, and strength of these magnificent animals.

I include symbols and written messages while painting or drawing that are meaningful to me and invite the viewer to participate in the experience. I include a cross in each work to bless my work and show gratitude for my artistic gifts. Many of my messages symbolize my strong connection with nature and the spiritual world.

My style has characteristics of abstract expressionism which prioritizes personal expression, spontaneity, and the exploration of abstract form to convey emotions and ideas. I like to work in large formats, allowing for a more immersive and impactful viewing experience.

My technique firstly is to use my fingers and hands to apply molding paste mixed with sand to create texture to elevate the viewing experience. Then I apply layers of acrylic paint and charcoal written messages. The layers are transparent allowing the viewer to see the underlining layers of color. My colors vary depending upon my mood; sometimes neutral, and sometimes bold colors. As an artist, I find solace in the dance between colors and the symphony of textures, creating a world where imagination takes flight, and emotions find their voice.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think most non-creatives do not understand the overwhelming need of an artist or other creative to simply create. There is no ON / OFF switch in the creative mind or soul…everything we see, do, or think is filtered through our chosen creative outlet. We do not have the luxury of leaving the office and putting down our work until the next day.

While creating is therapeutic, it is also the source of the need for this therapy; there is a consent and unrelenting battle in the creative mind between the need to create and the self-critique that what is being created is not good enough.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Roughly five years ago I began a work that had been pressing on me for quite some time, which was to paint an expressionistic larger than life-size, mixed medium horse.

Horses are a common theme for my subject matter and I wanted to create a piece that exemplified the horse’s larger than life contribution to mankind’s storyline, to convey the power and strength of the horse it needed to be huge.

After struggling to find a suitable structure on which to create the work, I was finally underway. The painting itself took over a year to complete and went through many revisions. Once complete, I found that it was just too large for any of usual outlets to handle or sell.

I felt very strongly about the piece but I just could not find anyone or anywhere that could use such a large painting. By chance, one of the other artists in my studio mentioned the piece to a commercial art consultant who specializes in placing art in luxury hotels. After many years, my piece finally found a home in a newly constructed hotel outside Dallas, Texas.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beauchamp-cooke.com
• Instagram: @cookebonniebeauchamp
• Facebook: Bonnie Beauchamp-Cooke
• Linkedin: Bonnie Beauchamp-Cooke

Image Credits

David Clifton-Strawn Photography