July 9, 2008

Happy Independence Day!
2008 has been constant fireworks for me! I was married to Ron Graham on March 29th in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. We went for our honeymoon in the fabulous country of Peru where we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and later climbed to the top of a 19,000 foot volcano. It was the most amazing honeymoon a girl could ask for, and as far as I'm concerned the honeymoon is still on! I have a truly amazing husband. We've been out canyoneering and collecting inspiration for my new works as much as we can.

ArtExpo 2008
I participated in several local art shows this spring, but my big event will be this September when I debut at ArtExpo Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort. If any of you are in town and want to go, please let me know as I will be receiving a bunch of free passes. I will be donating a portion of my profits towards conservation efforts here in Nevada. My official benefactor will be Friends of Red Rock Canyon who have several important projects coming up next year. This should be an exciting show for me with an opportunity to gain extensive exposure.

World Market Center
The World Market Center will be having their International Market Event, July 28 - August 1. It will also be the grand opening of their third building which will be celebrated with the help of Rod Stewart. My family and I are excited to see his performance. I am currently being represented by Lena Walther, Scandinavian Collection, (B-158) and hope to sell lots of giclee prints at this exciting event. For more information please see my press release.

Awards
I received my first award from Sierra Arts for a miniature I painted for their Nevada Wide Open Show: The Biggest Little Art Show in Nevada. This show will be traveling the state over the next few years, and really shows the diverse amount of talent within the state of Nevada. I am proud to be a part of it. In fact, it inspired me to produce a whole series of miniatures of Red Rock Canyon. They are available as a box set of greeting cards. Check them out!

Upcoming Opportunity
I'm excited by an upcoming opportunity here in Las Vegas. The Neonopolis on Fremont Street is being converted into a fine art museum and studio spaces for working artists, like myself. I plan to be involved in this project from the beginning, and it could prove to be a great venue for developing our Las Vegas arts community. I'll keep you posted!

I've completed lots of new artwork and updated my website, so please take the time to check it out. Newly posted works include: Death Valley Series: dropstone, and fan. More still to come on Death Valley, what an amazing place! Cougar, my gift to Ron for our wedding. Muse, a tribute to my personal muse (and the new image for my business cards), the sea slug. Wings, teeth, and of course, my Red Rock Series. Also, take a look at my new video on my site and YouTube.

Until next time, farewell!

Bonnie Kelso
www.bkelso.com