Bonnie Donahue

After playing and experimenting with nearly every art media known, I eventually settled on fused glass. My current art work involves the use of hand cut, pre-fired, transparent, iridized elements which are arranged and layered directly on the kiln shelf. I fire the work multiple times at a low temperature, as I create one layer, then fire, then layer and fire again. I end up with very organic, radiating textural pieces. I call them fused glass mosaic sculptures. It feels to me as if these pieces grow from somewhere inside my body. The fused wall pockets that I make satisfy my interest in functional, decorative design. Their brilliant colors feed my soul. There is something very appealing about making a pretty piece of art to hang on the wall that will hold fresh or synthetic flowers and foliage. I love working with the contrast of textures, colors and shapes as I arrange foliage in the wall pockets. The creative process still thoroughly fascinates me. Even though I’ve pondered the nature of creativity for years, I find that I actually know less and less about what it really is and where it comes from. My intuition tells me that it has something to do with having the courage to stay open to this great mystery we call life.