Bonnie Bishoff and her partner J.M. Syron have been collaborative artists for 38 years, working in various mediums. J.M. has experience in fine woodworking and furniture and instrument making, and Bonnie works with drawing, painting, metal, and jewelry. Most recently, they have combined their skills to make serene, nature-inspired polymer clay wall art. They begin by forming polymer veneers from thin slices of intricate designs. These layers are compressed into loaves, which, when sliced, reveal colorful, fractal patterns. The design slices are then pieced together through a marquetry-like process and heat-cured, becoming thin, flexible plastic veneers.
Once captured on the surface of furniture, their designs come to life in the form of wall sculptures with multiple components, layered effects, and intricate shapes of oversized flowers, life-sized birds, and animals for the wall. The scale of their use of polymer is unparalleled in the medium, carving them out as innovators in the mixed-media field. Their work can be found in both private collections and in public spaces, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, and MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. Their textured patterns reflect the exuberance of life force: growth and change in all its iterations, form defining the beauty of structure and supported interrelationships.
