We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful ROSANNA BONNET CARNEIRO. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with ROSANNA below.

ROSANNA, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

After earning my AAS in Graphic Design, I needed to raise funds for a big move to the Netherlands to study printmaking. I created a small line of about ten different greeting card designs and presented them to a local paper store. To my surprise and joy, the owner bought the entire production! That unexpected sale was not only my first real income from my creative work—it was also the moment I realized that my art could support my dreams.

ROSANNA, 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?

Hi, I’m Rosanna—a Dominican Republic-born artist specializing in screen printing and ceramic tile art.

My journey with ceramic tiles began in 2004, shortly after I moved from New York City to Boston, Massachusetts. But my creative path started much earlier. I originally studied architecture in the Dominican Republic for four years, before shifting gears in 1981 to work as a paste-up artist at an advertising agency. That hands-on experience became my introduction to the world of graphic design.

In 1983, something wonderful happened: Parsons School of Design from New York opened a new campus in La Romana, Dominican Republic. I enrolled and earned my AAS in Communication Design from the Altos de Chavón School of Design in 1985. Later, I continued my studies in The Hague, focusing on printing techniques and environmental design.

Returning home in 1986, everything began to fall into place. Alongside a group of fellow artists, I co-founded a screen printing atelier. We reproduced artwork for galleries, well-known Dominican artists, and hotels. Over nearly ten years, our studio built a strong reputation and grew to employ 20 people.

Unfortunately, due to political and economic instability in the Dominican Republic, I made the difficult decision to close the business and move to the United States in 1995. That transition marked a new chapter—one that eventually led me to ceramics, where I found a new language of expression through clay, color, and fire.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my life was when I moved to New York to start all over again—it was a time full of change and uncertainty.

Before that, the only job I had after studying architecture was at an advertising agency, working with my mother’s cousin. I didn’t know yet that an art school would soon open nearby. That job became my introduction to graphic design. I worked as a paste-up artist, darkroom technician, proofreader—doing everything by hand, with typewriters, photomechanical processes, and no computers. It was a hands-on education in visual communication.

Later, after returning from the Netherlands, I started a small printing business. But finding a stable job was difficult. Fortunately, I was hired by Gary Plastics, an injection molding corporation in the South Bronx, to create a printing department from scratch. That job was a true “school of life” for me. I worked there for seven years, learning, growing, and contributing—until once again, it was time for me to move on to a new chapter.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, being creative means freedom—freedom of thought, emotion, and expression.

When I work on my ceramic tile art, it becomes a kind of meditation. It’s a moment where I observe, reflect, and connect deeply with nature and the world around me. My process is not just about making something beautiful—it’s about expressing inner peace and harmony, and sharing that feeling with others. I believe that we all have an artist inside us, and through my work, I hope to touch that part in others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rosibonnetceramictiles.blogspot.com
• Instagram: @rosannabonnet
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosanna-bonnet

Image Credits

Rosanna Bonnet Janling Fu and , Manasi Vaidya