Bonnie Brooks was introduced to the arts and their
importance at a very young age, by her mother.  Every
weekend she would take her to the New York  Art
Institute and other museums nearby.  At the age of
eight she was chosen out of students from many
schools to attend Buffalo State University in New
York.  Bonnie was not only in the visual arts, but
also danced and acted in theater.  She currently plays
the flute and oboe under the direction of composer,
Judy Turkington.

Bonnie did her undergraduate work at Western Michigan
University, studying watercolors and drawing with
Harold Hefner, of Spain.  She also received her BA in
textile design and art education.  The artist
completed her Masters at Wayne State University in
Detroit, Michigan where she studied watercolors, art
therapy and pottery.  Pottery is one of the things
that brought her to North Carolina to write a thesis
on North Carolina pottery.

Bonnie has been teaching art for twenty one years and
her paintings have been in many juried art exhibits
around the country.  The artist studies of art are not
exclusive to school, but she has traveled around the
world to such places as Spain, England, France,
Austria, Germany, Hungary and Czech. She was Vice
President of the Visual Art Exchange, a member of the
North Carolina Art Educators Association, the Michigan
Watercolor Society, helps do fund raising for the
United Arts and has received the Raleigh Metal of
Arts.

Bonnie majored in watercolors as an undergraduate and now
paint mostly in oils.  "My work use to be thin layers
of transparent paint giving a quality of depth.  It
now has a different quality of depth using the rich
luster of oils in a thick impressionistic style of
painting.  I still layer my work painting all the tree
branches even if they are not seen covered by leaves.
This give the deepness through the perspective and
acuracy of the leaves hanging on the branches.  My
subject matter is still landscapes but in a broader
view. I travel to Europe and other parts of the
country to inspire a large range of landscapes."