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March 4, 2010

Guild honors two March artists

Special to the Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Wabash Valley Art Guild proudly honors two area Artists of the Month for March, Debbie Bonness and John Fuller. Their work is on display this month in the Vigo County Public Library.

Fuller is a local artist with connections into the world of photography through his historical visual accounts of trains. Romancing his admiration of the railroad giants, his photos convey a nostalgia from many viewers, both train buffs and those who “just remember when.” Previously interviewed by the Tribune Star for the historical value of his work, Fuller has continued to pursue his interest in trains through photography. From the age of 15 when his parents bought him a Kodak Instamatic to the 35mm, onto a medium-format camera, a grandfather’s job as a train dispatcher put Fuller on the lookout for those one-of-a-kind shots that bring a relationship of respect for the iron horses of the past with onlookers of the present, or “stop and smell the roses” snippets of beauty.

Fuller began his serious attempts at photography through junior high and high school experiences at North Central in Indianapolis, where he entered a 1971 Scholastic Art Contest. With a category in photography, Fuller achieved a first-place and an honorable mention. Ball State University offered a degree in photojournalism, where he became involved with the college yearbook. There, a “wow” moment came when he captured a silhouette of a “telescope and viewer” which featured the school’s planetarium. “That was neat,” he reminisced, “a two-page spread.” He now has work in the Carmel Clay Historical Society and Huntington Historical Society.

His technique varies with the purpose of the view. With trains and buildings, “I try to find unusual angles or geometric or architectural forms … then, the composition. If landscape, I look for a depth of feeling with something close-by for the larger [panorama]. I look for the unusual.” When working with common objects in nature, like leaves, “I’m looking for something different, leaves in water of unusual colors and angles. It just happens … I see it. Sometimes I think this is neat or this is not so special … then something may pop out after it is developed.”

At times, “Behind the camera, I’m trying to experience the beauty of God’s creation and take the time to experience that. So often people don’t take the time or have the time. I like to go to Lake Michigan quite a bit and watch the sunset. You can watch the sunset for an hour and all sorts of things happen – the light, the sunset,” he says wistfully. “Then you turn around and see the light reflection behind you. Taking the time to do that is time well-spent.” With a photojournalism background, Fuller explains, “I attempt a photo series … to tell a story.”

O. Winston Link has influenced Fuller’s work along with David Plowden, both leaving their marks in many published books. Fuller’s work encompasses the realistic with the aesthetic, a technique that can allow an interactive moment of human interest, mood and history. 

Fuller has two photos:

n “Crew Change, Huntington, Indiana, 1969” engages people’s interest. A nostalgic pull into an era of the past documents two uniformed train employees caught in the aura of a gray day’s work at the train. Note the angle and experience the feeling: Fuller’s signature on his work.

n “Winter Memory” debuted on the cover of “When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Life Abandonment” with the old train station; the caboose; snow creating a moment of haze, for a memory snapshot.

Fuller belongs to the Wabash Valley Art Guild and Center for Rail Road Photography and Art in Madison, Wis. His work is popular with observers at The Coffee Grounds and many railroad shows where he displays in a few 8-by-10 photos but many within folders and binders. Book authors, magazine and book connections purchase his work through the show connections. Fuller’s work may be viewed at the Vigo County Public Library this month.

III

Bonness has influenced the Wabash Valley with her work as an art teacher in the Vermillion and Parke County grade schools for 29 years and as an area artist for most of her life. Before this time, Bonness’ interest and talent had the influence of her mother’s work in oils. Bonness assumed her first attempts in oils then went on to try a variety of media to express her ideas. Growing up in a school without art, she managed to pursue her interest. Her junior high program at Creston in Indianapolis gained interest from a professional art teacher. “I always felt it was something I would do.” In college, her interests in psychology, combined with art, gained attention from the art professor and encouraged her to proceed with the “knowing” she had as a child that she would do “something” in art.

“My style tends to be realistic — sometimes abstract if I’m trying to bring out the meaning in something. I strive for what’s important to me. My artwork is actually an extension of me.” In communicating her ideas, Bonness’ curiosity for media and its effects on her work lead her to explore the techniques of mixed media, acrylic, and pastels. But, “It’s the water color that’s my favorite … not totally predictive — its changes in colors — it’s not as controlled.” Her watercolor scenes and murals are signature pieces displayed in the Valley: Ernie Pyle and Van Duyn schools, Meadows Mannor North and Union Hospital. Her mural work also resides in a Saltillo, Mexico church. Publications also feature her creations. They are: Journal of Art Education and the Nutrition Supplement of Indiana Resource Guide. Belonging to the Wabash Valley Art Guild, Paris Art Guild and the Covered Bridge Art Gallery Association Group, Bonness’ work is exhibited at numerous art shows. She is especially proud of her students. One is an art therapist; one received second place recognition at the Smithsonian Art Museum. The greatest accolade is the one who commented, “You (Mrs. Bonness) are the one that made me love it (art).” At a time when school was difficult, Bonness had given the child a way to express himself.

Bonness’ style includes the use of vibrant colors, sometimes to creating an uplifting mood for a serious or factual portrayal. But also, “I expect the piece to be real even in a dark mood,” she said. Color communicates her message and creates that mood, so that the observer understands the reality of the subject matter. She has used her experiences to impact her work and connect to her viewers. She gives credit to Peter Bruning and Joseph Fettingis, watercolor artists whose work is known across the country.

Bonness’ work includes:

n “Summer Relaxation”: An idyllic hot summer day scene giving a calm observance of a horse in an open field with the refuge of refreshing shade for the audience who gets lost in the time.

n ”Captured in a Reflection”: A snippet of memory when the child in us recalls the reflection in a window making faces: sometimes, an event when adults’ backs are turned.

Bonness may be contacted through the Wabash Valley Art Guild.

The Wabash Valley Art Guild has been supporting the arts for more than 30 years in this region. Monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month, usually at the Vigo County Public Library. The March 11 meeting will be in Room C, downstairs at the VCPL. Fiber artist Brenda Ramponi will be demonstrating her unique quilting transformations at 6 p.m.; the business meeting will follow. WVAG meetings are free and the public is welcome to attend. For more information, call Eloise Weymouth at (812) 466-7754.

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