Artist Bonnie Hagyari grew up in Greene County, first in Garards Fort, and later moving to Crucible. She’s always been artistic, painting and drawing since she was a child, and is entirely self-taught. But it was her time in high school at Carmichaels that really helped her spread her artistic wings.
“I had an art teacher in high school, Mr. Varnak. He really encouraged me, because my parents didn’t believe that [art] was a career. We didn’t have any money, so he provided some of my art supplies. I went to him for study hall, and he practiced with me. He was a significant influence on me. I can remember even after I graduated, he found out where I lived and brought me stuff.”
Bonnie never attended art school after graduating, and taught herself using whatever resources were available at the time—first books, and later online resources. “I bought a lot of books and learned a lot… But now with YouTube, you just look up something and you can practice it. I learned a lot online!”
Most of Bonnie’s work revolves around a fantasy theme; think Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, myths and legends. Around 2002/2003, she discovered a new media that she fell in love with—polymer clay. The versatility of polymer clay has allowed her imagination to soar, and her skills to expand. Many of Bonnie’s polymer sculptures feature intricate and time-consuming cane work, making them one-of-a-kind pieces. Her clay work has been featured in magazines, and pieces have been auctioned off at the Carnegie Museum of Art for the Carnegie Science Awards.
Bonnie’s favorite thing about art is the flexibility. She often switches back and forth between her favorite mediums, and “I love when people say, do what you want. They just give you a little starting point and let you go off on your own tangent. It’s a lot more fun that way.”
“[Art is] a great escape. It’s very relaxing. You don’t have to look at the clock. People always ask you how long it takes to do a piece. I don’t know. Because my mind just relaxes when I get into the art room. I don’t keep track of time. It’s great therapy.”
When her husband Jim passed away two years ago, getting back into her art helped tremendously. Prior to his passing away, Bonnie also relied on art’s therapeutic value. “I did a lot of painting and drawing when Jimmy went through his chemo because I sat there for five or six hours a day with him. They learned to bring me one of those carts over, and I just sketched all day long while he was doing his treatments.”
This summer, Bonnie completed a multi-wall mural project at the Fredericktown American Legion. American Legion members Leo Faulk, John Keys, and Bill Hess reached out to Bonnie and asked her if she would put her painting skills to work painting a few of the Legion’s walls. After a few discussions about what they were looking for, Bonnie began researching ideas and designs. “I came across the silhouettes, and they liked the idea. We decided on the silhouettes, and then they let me go off from there.”
After finalizing the designs for each wall, Bonnie created the characters at home on poster board on the wall, then cut them out and brought them to the Legion. There, she traced them out on the blank walls and painted the designs. One wall features a poppy field, a symbol of the sacrifice soldiers make. Another wall features service members from the different military branches. A third wall features the American flag, and a fourth mural features the National Cemetery. And last, another mural features a bald eagle. Completing the murals had special meaning to Bonnie, as well: “My husband stopped here every day after work. He loved this place.”
The murals took a little over a month to complete, with Bonnie working about four to five hours a day. “[The Legion was] so nice. They brought down a stage from upstairs and put it under where I was working, so I didn’t have to climb up and down a ladder all day. That was wonderful.”
Bonnie has completed other murals prior to the Legion’s. In Fredericktown, you can find her mural of Alice in Wonderland along a brick wall completed during the pandemic, and at her home, she turned her shed into a hobbit hole.
Bonnie couldn’t have pursued her passion for the arts without the support of her family. “My daughter Jamie and my two granddaughters Katey and Keara are very supportive and proud of my work as I am of theirs everyday!”