Bonnie Trottier

These 28 pieces are a culmination of works to showcase my progression in techniques and personal growth as an artist in the past two years. Connection is the common thread through all five groups: my connectivity with others, to nature, to places, to spiritualism, and to creativity itself – materials and creative process. 

Making art is in my bones. Throughout my life, I have always created art in one form or another: fibers, textiles, graphite, inks, acrylics, watercolor, and various crafts. While raising a family, having a career, and the challenge of accessible art classes in rural Northern Alberta, art remained a strong interest. When my full-time career was over, my world began to open up to travel and attending art workshops and then suddenly the COVID pandemic was upon us. However, in this dark time there was a silver lining: a plethora of online art instruction emerged. 

I signed up for my first online art class with the University of Saskatchewan Community Arts and Artisanship Program in 2020. Upon its completion, I knew I had landed in a safe and supportive learning community. I whole-heartedly invested in myself to learn art and find my art style. In 2021, I enrolled in a series of watercolor courses, picking up where I left off some 30 years prior. Two years later, here I am, a graduating student of the USask Community Arts and Artisanship Program. 

Although my concentration is in watercolor, each of my five groups displays breadth and depth in various mediums and styles: I use ink, graphite, and colored pencils to highlight watercolor and make it shine. Perhaps the challenge of watercolor could be a metaphor for my own life; a need for planning, simplifying, and finding beauty in unplanned happenings. 

My personal connection with art is now progressing from initially creating only for myself to sharing with others. I am realizing the magic of making art is in sharing with others the joy in the process of my work and seeing how they connect to my work. It is a line of connection; from my inspiration and experiences, through my process of creating and completion of works, to others’ thoughts and interpretations. Perhaps the cycle of creating art is complete when my work inspires others? 

To fulfill my lifelong desire to learn and make art has been a profound experience. I have discovered my work is an ever-evolving visual representation of learning, growth, and personal creative development. I take joy in the process of learning and stepping out of my comfort zone, and love to instill my life’s experiences into my art. The pure enjoyment of getting lost in making art gives me the childlike zest to enjoy the freedom of being my authentic self. There are times it feels vulnerable and overwhelming to put my work out there. Nonetheless, I will continue to trust that I intuitively know what feels right. To intuitively trust in my work is a vital part of being an artist, as is the knowing in my soul that I am an artist.