Michele BonDurant
Painting, Mixed Media
Bio: Michele BonDurant is an artist based in Dayton, Ohio. Her hand-painted paper, mixed-media collages, and paintings explore ordinary and imaginary objects and the landscapes around her. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. BonDurant has exhibited in solo and group shows across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Select solo exhibitions include the Prince Street Gallery, NYC, and Dutoit Gallery, Dayton, Ohio. Select group exhibitions include Hampstead Art Society, UK. West End Art Space, Melbourne, Australia; First Street Gallery, Prince Street Gallery, and Blue Mountain Gallery, NYC; the Brand Library, Glendale, California; the Maryland Federation of Art Circle Gallery, The Riffe Gallery and Sarah Gormley Gallery, Columbus, Ohio; Wright State University, Robert and Elaine Stein Gallery, the Contemporary Dayton and Dutoit Gallery, Dayton. Her collages have been featured in Contemporary Collage Magazine and Painter’s Tubes Magazine, United Kingdom. She has had residencies at the London Collage Project, the Chautauqua School of Art, Vermont Studio Center, and the Arc of Appalachia Artists in Sanctuary. She is represented by Sarah Gormley Gallery, Columbus, Ohio.
Artist Statement: Scissors, cutting, gluing, and painted paper are how I deliberately make the ordinary and familiar exciting by experimenting with layering, shadows, color, patterns, and subtle gradations of light and form.
My collage process with painted and other types of paper is both spontaneous and intentional. Applying multiple layers of paint to the paper creates unexpected brush marks and textures. The thickness of the glued paper forms a rhythm of edges, increasing the composition's complexity. I progress from background to foreground, refining each detail until I achieve the desired result. This method helps me create artworks filled with light and shapes.
I hope viewers notice the color, shapes, and light in everyday objects and landscapes, and come to appreciate the wonder and uniqueness of our world.
The Street Lamp
8" x 10"
Painted Paper Collage