“Color sets a mood, an atmosphere that can create
feelings ranging from contentment to terror. There are
colors within colors, too. The many colors in a shadow,
for instance, convey cold or heat. The way light plays
with the subject is also very important. Light may dance
across snow or water, then lead the eye through the
thick fur of a wolf’s neck or flash in the corner of a
cougar’s eye. I’m fascinated by hue changes in light as
it ages with the day.”
-Bonnie Marris
Bonnie has taken an unusual path into art: she developed her talent by
portraying animals "from the inside out." While studying in
college, she illustrated several major books including a leading expert's mammalogy
text containing hundreds of drawings. This project attracted the
attention of noted zoologist George Schaller who invited Bonnie to prepare
the art posters that would support his world wide rare animal relief
programs.
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Social Viewpoints
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
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“What you are most unprepared for when you see a grizzly in the wild
the first time is the fact that it is so much bigger than you could
ever have imagined, part of the thrill is that they are so
unpredictable-they are friendly looking but dangerous, they look so
soft and yet are so tough, they are so intelligent but so wild.
Watching grizzlies fish is one of my favourite things. They are so
preoccupied with the fish and their skills are incredible. They
track and corral the fish, even turn over rocks to see if the fish
have gone under them. They are so intent on what they are doing they
are not bothered by your presence. It is the ultimate artist’s
meditation and they simply ignore everything else.
I
really do love 'Fish Tales.' I love that you can see what the bear
is concentrating on so attentively. I really wanted to show the
roughness of the fur and the cold hardness of the claws. There are
so many different patterns in the water, those on the surface and
those below it. It’s a very serene painting even though the grizzly
is hunting. I like to believe you can hear him breathing.”
-
Bonnie Marris
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
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“The scene is my
favorite wolf-viewing position near our
campsite in Alaska,” said the artist. “I
always think of this stream as “gold creek”
because a legend still persists that gold
was discovered here, and a miner’s shack in
the vicinity still survives to feed the
myth! I watched as these two adults
separated from the pack to hunt and fish and
one of them did get lucky with a Dolly
Varden trout.”
- Bonnie Marris
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Collectors of her work will recognize the
coloring on this pair of friends, caught early one warm fall morning
when Bonnie stepped outside to check on them. Her horses are her muses
and she never tires of following the light moving across their backs
throughout the day and the way the whites and shadows in their hair
change colors.
“I love this painting because it is as
much about the relationship between the horses as it is about the
lighting at this time of day and the textures in the grass, alongside
the ripples in the water. It’s a meditation, a very soothing piece.”
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
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“Personally, I’m most intrigued by the
relationship with ravens,” says Bonnie Marris. “It is mysterious because
it can only be imagined or supposed just what they are actually
communicating with each other. It has only just begun to be formally
studied. There’s an appearance of communication concerning the location
of a kill that seems to happen again and again. The wolves will follow
the ravens to a kill and although they badger each other back and forth
over a kill, they seem to share.
“In this image, the ravens are leading a
small group of wolves to a kill they have discovered. I love this
painting because it is as much about the relationship between the wolves
and the crow as it is about the lighting and rhythm of the composition.
The reflections on the water and the backlighting on the wolves worked
out very well. It’s a cold, but very soothing piece.”
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Pawnee is a portrait of the artist’s horse
as a young’un. The American Paint Horse is a uniquely American breed,
developed in the United States by a mix of wild mustangs and Quarter
Horses. Trustworthy, agreeable, athletic and generally level-headed,
they have a good cow sense and are well-suited to working farms.
Everything about the portrait of this particular Paint says it’s unique.
Each sinewy muscle is visible, with ears alert as the light shafts from
above. She has some growing to do and she’s going to be even more
beautiful. If you believe in reincarnation, you could do a lot worse
than being a beloved horse of this artist in your next life.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Texas longhorn cattle, with their
characteristic horns, were almost extinct by the 1920s since modern day
ranchers preferred a breed that could fatten up quickly and they no
longer valued the longhorn’s ability to survive in high heat on little
water, but lots of cactus, weeds and brush. In the 1930s they were
protected and bred in small stocks, mostly out of the idea of the
romance of the Old West but later longhorns became popular for their
lean, lower-cholesterol meat. Commercial ranchers now breed them with
other cattle for their many strong traits including smarts and easy
calving. Artist Bonnie Marris, well known for painting horses, wolves
and other wildlife, shows off her ability to portray the essence of any
animal. This herd of longhorn is easing across a shallow-water crossing.
They’re beautiful, intelligent and lean. Sounds like a breed apart.
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Marris took what became, for her, an
historic research trip to Yellowstone National Park last year because
she was lucky enough to witness an unusual number of bear and their
young. Stationed near one of the only fast-running rivers in the Park,
Marris observed the mother bring her babies down to see water for the
first time. A ferocious and dangerous mammal, this mother bear treated
her cubs with gentle patience and care.
“I love the different colors in this scene,”
said Bonnie, “the bear’s wet red, orange and black fur against the cool
greens and blues of the water.”
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Last September I spent seven days
backpacking in Yellowstone, which has been a central inspiration for me
as an artist,” said artist Bonnie Marris, “but this recent trip was a
special gift. I saw so much wildlife and had the joy of camping near the
Druid wolf pack for 3 days.” Both the male and female pass time bonding
with their pups. There are many Idle Hours with no agenda other than
tenderness and play. A wolf’s eyes seem to always have a remote
distance, but this mother is in her own world, a place of incredible
security, with her two pups. “This is the painting I always wanted to
do,” Bonnie said. “I felt somehow completed when it was finished.”
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
The first year of a foal’s life is
essential to its development into a strong and healthy adult horse.
For the first few months, the mare will devote her energy to
protecting her foal from predators and the elements and from other
curious horses in the herd. After three months or so the mare will
assume the role of teacher for her foal. By carefully observing its
mother’s behavior, the foal will gain a gentle introduction to
finding food and water, recognizing danger and social dynamics
within the herd. Like a human mother, the mare assesses her foal’s
needs and provides for them with a tenderness that touches the
heart.
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handsigned by the artist
'' She was the
perfect foal…. Then, one morning, I woke up to the “terrible twos.” Suddenly
she argued! She threw tantrums! She bucked, she ran, she whinnied for me to
leave, then not to leave. She threw her brushes, dumped her grain, splashed
water on me, stomped her feet, and shook her head. Was it my fault? Not
enough teaching? Too much?
“She’s three
now. Whew…she’s perfect again!”
~Bonnie Marris
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
The
ideas of communal need and social structure are not unique to humans. Bonnie
Marris captures that and more in Night Cap. Luminated by the setting sun,
friends gather bragging and talking as they quench their thirst at day’s
end. And just like humans, every one has their place. The group leader, the
one with the foal, is very proud yet protective. She has a best friend who
is closest and whom she will always choose to care for the foal when she
cannot. Slightly outside the inner circle stands the interloper or outcast,
kept at bay by the glare of the mare. “I really hate the idea of impressing
too greatly the habits of people upon the actions of animals,” says Bonnie.
“But anyone who has spent time around such a coffee clatch will smile at
just how similar the situation is.”
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
They say opposites
attract and this pair of horses, one from each end of the color spectrum,
inspired artist Bonnie Marris to create her latest fine art limited edition,
Night and Day. “I absolutely love this painting,” says Marris. “The duality
of nature combined with the strength and speed infuses this symbolic and
poetic piece with an energy all its own. The spontaneity and excitement that
comes from a horse is spectacular to watch. But it’s always a challenge to
give a painting a sense of movement. These geldings have such a rhythm that
against the blurred lighting of the background they appear to sail through
the canvas. A blend of delicacy and masculinity, there’s both harmony and
play between the two, their enthusiasm and energy the brilliance bounce off
one another. While the light plays off the black and white, you still can
see every color of the rainbow.”
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
The distinctive
howl of the wolf song is one of the most remarked upon, an almost hypnotic
and magical quality of the animal. Hearing this sound is an experience few
listeners ever forget. "My life long love affair with wolves is epitomized
and celebrated with Sing Out," says artist Bonnie Marris of her latest fine
art limited edition. "Wolves have a very special way of sharing good things
and bad things—they celebrate both. When puppies are born, the pack breaks
into a glorious excited howl with tails wagging. When a pack member returns
from an absence, a wonderful reunion howl is the welcoming. When a pack
member is lost or dies, again the shared chorus begins. This painting is a
celebration of the good and the bad of life. It celebrates bonds of
friendship, love and loyalty.
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
“Neither the mare
nor I had ever experienced the thrill of being around a foal before,” says
artist Bonnie Marris. Bonnie has raised horses for twenty-five years, but it
wasn’t until last year that she experienced her first foal. “This adventure
in motherhood proved exciting to both of us and we ended up loving it so
much! There’s a wonderful glowing softness in their nuzzling, a warmth and
purity that comes only from learning to mother. The delicate, lacy flowers
which give the painting its title add a gentle, caressing feeling to the
composition.”
Limited Edition
Masterwork Giclée canvas
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Cunning, sly and
wily, the fox is adept at deception. From time to time, however, the devious
dodger can be bested by the trickery of another.
“This
red fox had been eyeing a heron in a large pond for quite a while. The
bird waded while the fox waited. When the bird moved into the tall weeds at
the pond’s edge, the fox made his move. Instantly the huge wings unfolded
and carried the heron out of the water, leaving only a feather and a fox’s
empty embrace behind.”
-Bonnie Marris
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
“I’ve spent so much
of my life working with, camping nearby, and studying wolves that their
every ‘essence’ has become a huge part of me. Somehow, with every blank
canvas, I have the push to paint the ‘ultimate’ wolf painting. Because
wolves are so fascinating to me, I keep trying to get closer and closer to
them in every way. They look past you, they look through you, they hold you.
With Mystere’, we’re as close as he’ll allow us.”
-Bonnie Marris
Limited Edition
Masterwork Giclée canvas
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“You never know
when a spark which leads to a painting will first appear,” Bonnie Marris
says. “I was at an event in California when I saw this amazing horse waiting
under the lights on the sidelines. This spectacular horse had a mesmerizing
look that I couldn’t take my eyes off, as if he had so much to say. As he
swept the awards that night, I learned his name was Jack.
Limited Edition
Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Spirit Unbroken is
not only the title of Bonnie Marris’ latest release, but also defines the
artist’s passion for her subject. “Believe it or not, I actually know this
horse!” Bonnie says. “I’ve created this painting to be symbolic in many
ways. Unleashing yourself and all your power; feeling the sheer thrill of
pure freedom; giving it your all and outrunning adversity, defiance or
discouragement is what everyone strives for. This has become an American
theme today.”
Limited Edition
Masterwork Giclée canvas
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Heart, grace and
loyalty. A sturdy build, hunter’s instinct and keen intelligence. This
award-winning show dog exudes all the qualities that make the Labrador
Retriever one of the most popular breeds in America today.
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
It was a chance
encounter you will never forget. You watched in wonder as the great golden
cat drank his fill in a creek of dancing sunlight. You were so quiet, so
hidden… until the instant he turned and his eyes met yours. He knew you were
there all the time!
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
If you have ever
owned and loved a dog, this work will surely touch your heart. This old dog
waits patiently for his owner to sit and read so he can sleep contently at
his master's feet. Bonnie is a dog lover, and has tried to embody in this
painting much of what we admire about our canine companions: the loyalty,
understanding and unconditional love only a dog can give.
Limited Edition Giclée on paper
handsigned by the artist
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