Bonnie is a native of Clear Lake, Iowa. Over the years family moves meant settling in many states, but for the last 17 years, the Westovers have lived in Minneapolis.
Bonnie's first art exhibit was during kindergarten year when she displayed a bird picture at the Des Moines Art Center. In the years since, she has continued to draw, paint, and make prints. She has also continued to exhibit her work.
Currently, as a member of the Northrup King Building artists community, Bonnie participates in open studio events like First Thursdays, Art-a-Whirl, and Art Attack. Thousands of viewers come to visit North-East Minneapolis to tour studios and see the latest work of over a hundred artists.
Bonnie has a B.A. in studio art from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in printmaking and painting from the Illinois State University. For many years she has taught drawing and printmaking to students of all ages. She teaches at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (Life Drawing), Minnetonka Center for the Arts (Basic Drawing and Beyond), Osseo schools (part-time Art), and private lessons at Studio 267 in the Northrup King Building.
"I did not plan a teaching career," she says, "but I have found that it is a wonderful way to work out creative problems, investigate new media that interests me, and sharpen critical skills."
Bonnie works primarily in drawing media, especially colored pencil and pastel. Her subjects range from figures to landscapes and still-life. "I just draw whatever appeals to me," she says, "I especially enjoy the challenge of reflections on glass and the way light affects color." Bonnie has a large collection of "junk" which she uses both for her students and for her own work. Many of her favorite objects have come from students who know a good place for an old curiosity.
Bonnie is married to Allan, an archeologist and is the mother of two grown sons. Jonas is a PHD student in musicology at CUNY in New York City. Nathaniel is a regular performer at the MN Renaissance Festival and is currently following an acting career.
"The challenge of choosing a subject which captures my imagination and then working out the artistic details keeps me excited about drawing. Sometimes the most common objects or scenes—things I see every day—suddenly present themselves for exploration. Being an artist means that you never stop looking, never stop trying for a new way of interpreting the world around you. What a wonderful way to experience life!"