Up this week on Muddy Monday is Monica Bodnar. She is an amazing artist, not only does she make beautiful useful pottery, but also loves to draw. A quote taken from her store front: "Drawing is essential to my sanity, and so is drinking! (and eating) I like to make cups that will hopefully make someone smile or get a conversation going." What is very unique is how she incorporates her love of drawing with her pottery. So lets get to know her:
Q - 1. Tell me a bit about yourself.
I like orange cupcakes with vanilla frosting and cooking bacon, even
though I have been a vegetarian all my life. I don’t eat the bacon and
I’m no longer squeamish when I touch it. I probably watch too much
television and read too many blogs. Sometimes I want to try out for
survivor or the amazing race. I like living in walking distance to the
beach. I have lived in a few places: Los Angeles, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Delaware (it’s a small state) and now residing in
Atlantic Beach, FL. My fiance' reminds me of Homer Simpson but less
voluptuous. I started playing in clay a year and a half ago and can’t
imagine my life without it.
Q - 2. How do you decide what to make? What is your thought process or inspiration?
My thought process has drastically changed in the last year and so has
my medium. In grad school I focused on installation sculpture using
ephemeral materials. I have always read a lot and most of my work was a
reaction to articles and studies relating to environmental issues. This
seems worlds apart now, since I am currently making and smashing
ceramics.
After school I decided to make a switch to functional ceramics. I was intrigued by the idea of eating and drinking out of “art”. I used to be too serious about the art making process and way too academic about it. Nowadays I draw. I draw a lot. I have sketchbook piles that take up an entire closet. These drawings are inspired by my life in suburbia and random books. I don’t think I’ve ever drawn any two items with the same thing. There is just too much fun stuff in the world to limit a certain set of characters.
Q - 3. What
is usually going on in your studio while you are working? Such as do
you blast music, have silence, or watch soap operas?
I have to have music on. I used to only throw to Norah Jones , carve to
Lighting Hopkins, glaze to Taj Mahal and Jack Johnson. I’ve opened up a
little bit and get crazy by putting the ipod on shuffle. I have been
known on occasion to run into the house at 1pm to watch days of our
lives and eat bon bons. (I for one am glad to see the mix up, and of course I promote bon bons all the way..)
Q - 4. Where else can we find you on the web (such as your own site, blog, twitter, facebook etc.) or in brick and mortar?
The internet is a crazy thing.
Website www.monicabodnar.com
Blog: www.monicabodnar.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/monicabodnar
Facebook,
although you can find me on there, I don’t use it for art purposes.
Mostly to keep up with friend drama and their babies.
Real life:
right now you can find me at the Atlantic Beach Art Walk in Atlantic Beach Florida every third Thursday and Starbucks for the next few
months in Atlantic Beach.
Q - 5. What are your favorite websites to visit?
Soooo I’m addicted to Etsy and pottery blogs.
Michael Kline got me hooked starting with his blog. http://michaelklinepottery.blogspot.com/.
I also really like cake wrecks. If I weren’t a potter I would probably be making cakes.
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
I would go on but then I would have to admit to myself that I’m addicted to the internet.
Q - 6. What is your favorite color?
I go through phases and don’t think I’ll ever answer this question the same way twice. Today I like butter cream yellow. (umm...I love butter cream frosting, lol..all this talk of cakes and butter cream I am hungry)
Q - 7. What is your sign? Yeah, yeah,sorry, I know a lot of horoscope junkies.
I’m a Gemini. Which is probably why I don’t want to stick to one theme for my mugs or pick a favorite color.
Q - 8. Now can you share an embarrassing moment, or at least tell us a good joke? We all do need a bit of humor ya know.
Oh dear…. I’ll just tell you my most favorite joke ever. Ready?
Why are Conceptual Artists painting again?
Because they think it is a good idea
Gets me every time.
Q - 9. Last but not least - If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 4 things, what would they be?
Depends how long I’m stranded. If it’s short term I would like a barrel of rum, some hot Spaniard, a hammock, and sunscreen.
Long term I would like:
1. plenty of dessert. You don’t want to see me going through chocolate withdrawl. It’s not pleasant.
2. lifetime supply of sketchbooks/pencils.
3.
my fiancé, Jake, he keeps me sane (well when not driving me insane-
does that make any sense?) and is pretty MacGyver like handy.
4. memory foam pillows. (LOVE mine!!)
Ok, now I need to stop laughing as I really could hang with Monica. I really had to wipe off the Diet Pepsi from my screen when I read what she would do if it was short term. A girl afer my own heart....
Now that we have had some fun getting to know Monica Bodnar, take a look at some of her items below then pay a visit to her store to check out more. Mother's Day is coming up ya know!!
Thanks Monica and I hope you are having fun at the conference!!
