Bonnie Helen Hawkins

How it all started:

Like most creatively inclined people, my passion bloomed from a single moment in my childhood. These moments come from the people or the places we love and they inspire us to try and create something beautiful. My moment was from when I was a young girl – around four or five years old – sitting in the early morning with my mother. I watched her as she lit a match and held it upside down so that it would burn as much of the wood as possible, then break off the phosphorus tip. With her charcoal and a piece of plain white paper she started drawing a portrait of me, and then my sister behind. I remember not only the drawing, but also the feeling of awe that rose in my chest, being so young I thought that what I was seeing was magic. To recreate something so true to life out of burnt wood and a white sheet of paper, to my mind was – and still is – fantastical. I can close my eyes and still see it, I think from there it all began. I want to be able to create magic like my mother was. I wanted to recreate that feeling of awe and amazement and its what I still aim towards. Whether I will ever feel like that goal is completely accomplished I cannot say, but knowing that my work has touched so many people like my mothe...

Those people that know me well will not be surprised to learn that I left art college early, without a degree, to start my career without the burden of student loans.

I'm glad to say that I never looked back, getting out of college early was a lesson in life and put me in touch with the people that really matter.

Leaving art college early allowed me to create the art that I really cared about without the influence of tutors and the "fashionable" trends that dominate the art world today.

Art is one of those things, its either in you or its not. At the end of the day whats really important is just getting out there and doing it.

I exhibite with The Maven Gallery at 3-4 Northumberland Place, Bath, BA15AR, UK.

I have exhibited across Europe and in New York.