“Unrestrained by the rules of realism, I use color, line, shape, and movement to freely explore abstraction. I experiment with color variations within organic and geometric forms – sometimes tightly contained and sometimes in a free-flowing expressionistic style. Emotion and intuition are always part of the process. Each painting is an exercise in discovery, invention, and risk-taking. The process is never straightforward but always full of surprises. There is a fragile balance between spontaneity and control, between order and chaos, between simplicity and complexity. When I begin a painting, I never know what the final result will be – for me that is both the joy and the struggle of abstract painting.”

“Making art is my way of being present in the world. My paintings speak not only with line, shape, and color, but also with the passion and substance of living with purpose. I am influenced by life experiences, my surroundings, my subconscious, and an incredible urge to put paint to canvas. As with instrumental music, an abstract painting should evoke an emotional response. Positive energy, emotion, and visual enjoyment – these are the things I hope to impart to the viewer. My work is celebratory and is meant to appeal to the senses and heighten the human experience.”

 

Tonya Bottomley is a native and resident of western North Carolina. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Winston-Salem State University. She completed courses in design, sculpture, and painting from Brenau University in Georgia and studied anatomy and figure drawing at the Scottsdale Artist’s School in Arizona. Tonya began painting full-time after leaving the medical profession. With an origin in representational art, Tonya now works primarily in abstraction. Her work is held in public, private, and corporate collections.