BIOGRAPHY

“When I paint, my feelings go into it. I also focus on just it, other senses close down and I forget everything but the work itself.” Like a musician with their eyes closed as they play, Vonnie gets lost in the visual image she is creating, watching it emerge, and becoming part of it. There is real excitement in the work process, and after, there is often a sense of being relaxed and drained. Vonnie prefers to work on a large scale but her expressions come in a variety of sizes. Motion plays a critical part in many of her works, whether it is the lighthearted breezy motion of a jazz tune on canvas, or the slow, deadening loops of crude oil spreading over waves at sea. Other works are devoted to the opposite visual impression - lack of motion - wherein Vonnie captures the explosive force of energy held motionless. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Vonnie moved to Alaska in 1970 attending the University of Alaska, Anchorage. In 1990 she began displaying her paintings professionally in various Alaska coffee shops, offices, retail stores and selected galleries.