Happy first of December everyone! With the coming cold and the holiday season coming up, this artist was a perfect pick for the December Artist of the Month!
Please welcome Bonny Rooze as the newest Artist of the Month! Bonny is a talented fiber artist that makes super cute animals and piratical cleaning clothes. She also teaches our knitting classes! Be on the lookout for more of her classes coming up soon!
Her love for this area runs deep! Bonny is a transplant from the northeast but that didn't stop her from growing new roots here. She's been calling North Carolina home for 23 years with her husband and two sons and loving every minute of it!
A Little More About Bonny
Bonny has been with us almost from the beginning and her work is really amazing. I know that we had her teddy bears just in time for Christmas last year; it seems fitting that around the mark of a year with us that she would be picked as Artist of the Month. (I promise I drew her name blindly! What happy coincidence!)
She is a knitter that creates a wonderful range of textile items; from teddy bears to wash clothes and Christmas ornaments. Her work is wonderfully soft and durable! The material that she uses seems to be some of the best out there and she puts so much thought and effort into her work. You can really feel the love that's in every stitch!
Our Interview with Bonny
H: What was the "key moment" for you that lead to you getting started in your medium?
B: I knew pretty early on that I wanted to work with fiber. But, my experience trying to learn to knit from my grandmother was not good for either of us. Fast forward many years, I moved to NC, no friends or family here, I took classes at NC State Craft Center mostly to meet people. The first class I took was lap weaving--very interesting but what hooked me (so to speak) was the next class: beginner knitting. I was off to the races from there.
H: If you could work in any other area of art (besides your own), what would it be and why?
B: I am energized by color and texture. I'd love to work with clay--really get my hands into it, make a piece with bumps and crevices, and then play with glazes to find beautiful hues and shakes to finish it.
H: You're a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?
B: I find inspiration in the fall palette of colors--if I'm a "new" color it'd be a combo of brown, deep red, pumpkin orange, bit of green and maybe just a flash of gold. Blends are gorgeous to me.
H: What is your go-to strategy for overcoming the thoughts of "your work isn't good enough" or "I am not good enough to sell my work"?
B: I've been knitting for over 20 years. I've been selling my work on and off for over 10 years. Any insecurities I had about being good enough I sorted out within the first couple years of doing craft fairs. Positive feedback, studying what other fiber artists were doing and working, working, working helped with that. Nowadays I'm trying to figure out who my target customer base is and how to reach them.
H: If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
B: My favorite animal is the tiger. Such grace and fierceness. But I wouldn't describe myself as a tiger. I'm a bit scattered like a hummingbird, strong minded (my husband calls it stubborn) like a mule and completely devoted like a dog. What animal is that?
What You Can Look Forward To
Merry Christmas from Bonny to you!
She has lovingly put her items on discount for you just in time for the holiday season!
You will be able to take 20% off of her items, this month only! Not only can you use this percentage on the stuffed animals she makes, but also on the wash clothes, wraps, and soap scrubbies she has made!
All of her items are perfect to give as a present for this upcoming holiday season; from the hard-to-buy-for and that special little one in your life. Send some extra love this holiday season with one of Bonny's handmade and knitted creations!
Let's Get Social
Do you have a question or an idea? Let us know! Leave a commit below, sign up for our email list, or follow us on Social Media!
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We seriously love to hear from you guys! What project are you working on right now? Let us know! Add pictures! We are here to support artist, especially new artists, and creativity.
We hope that you have an amazing first week of December! Make sure to stop by the shop to check out all of Bonny's items!
XOXO - Impulsive
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