Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bonnie Zahn Griffith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Bonnie Zahn , thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

At age 5 I declared I was an artist. Even though I pursued a career in medical interventional Radiology, I always practiced my art with work being shown in a few galleries and studied with instructors as time permitted. Because I worked for a medical equipment manufacturer, I traveled extensively and took advantages of as many art exhibits and workshops around the world as free time allowed. Following 9-11 I began to seriously look at transitioning to being a full time artist and retiring from 30 years in medicine. Once that decision was made I embraced the life of an artist wholeheartedly and never looked back. Best decision ever!

Bonnie Zahn , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an artist working in oil, pastels and encaustic who embraces plein air painting as well as studio painting. I am a firm believer that one needs to paint from nature in plein air to then be as successful as you can be in your studio work. I mentor and coach emerging and inspiring artists both in person and online through a Canadian company Mastrius. I also offer workshops in the visual arts to help other artists achieve their best potential.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

So one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is that I get to create work that I am passionate about. I paint what is important to me – basically art of the landscape because it is ever changing and I think it’s important to record what we experience and see whether in a traditional or impressionistic fashion. I grew up on a ranch in Northcentral Montana and got to experience the land and it’s wealth often from the back of a horse. To be able to reflect on that stage of my life and really appreciate my then surrounds has given me a connection with nature that I relish. To reflect on what Mother Nature provides us is such a life lesson and to be able to record a tiny bit of that is so important to me.
Besides that, to be able to share my expertise with students and those I mentor or coach gives me a satisfaction of providing them with a Segway to grow their craft.

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

I treat my art business as I would any business I have been involved in. It’s a business, period. I am self employed and create my work schedule that meets the needs of my creative path based on goals and objectives that I have created at the beginning of the year. I can look forward to exhibits in the future; build on those goals and the associated tasks necessary to complete those bodies of work and possible opportunities such as workshops and demos related to said projects. I am currently working on a body of work for a Montana museum that include photos from the 1960’s that my mothers cousin took on several years of visits to Glacier Park. He was a professional freelance photographer from Chicago and recorded images of Glacier with enthusiasm. His selected images will be printed and displayed along with my paintings of these photo and a short narrative by his daughter’s and my memories of these trips to Glacier National Park as children. A subsequent workshop in pastel painting plus artist talk with round out a visit to the museum and the hanging of 30 works. A plan is also in place to exhibit an artist’s sketchbook of proposed works for the show. This exhibit may be offered as a traveling exhibit through small galleries and art centers within the state.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.Bonniegriffith.com
• Instagram: @bonniezahngriffith
• Facebook: Bonnie Griffith Fine Art
• Youtube: BonnieZahnGriffith