Bonnie Toney’s passion has been creating beautiful things since she was first able to hold a pencil and paintbrush. She got interested in gems and jewelry not long after that, and sold her first pair of earrings at age 11. A lifelong learner with diverse interests, Bonnie has pursued many types of artistic expression, and it’s not unusual to find several different disciplines contributing to a single piece. Bonnie ran a successful facepainting business for 20 years, in addition to teaching, creating her own art, and raising a family.
A move to North Carolina in 2013 gave Bonnie the chance to spread her wings artistically, pursuing both traditional metalsmithing and metal clay with vigor. She is an instructor at Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston-Salem and several other venues in the Piedmont Triad. Her work is available at multiple locations in the area, including the Sawtooth Gallery and Southwinds Gallery.
“I find inspiration in nature, and in artistic traditions like Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement. Elegance of line speaks to me, and I find the interplay of light and color fascinating. I find joy in the creative process, and in transforming the ephemeral beauty of organic materials like leaves into metal pieces whose beauty will endure.
Some of the principal materials I work with are metal clays, both precious metal and bronzes. Despite the name, the finished products are pure metal! At the start, they are composed of microscopic particles of real metal mixed with a small amount of an organic binder to make a clay that behaves a lot like ceramics. I sculpt with it, texture it, and in the case of my leaves, I turn it into slip and paint it in layers onto real leaves. When it’s dry, I sand it, carve and texture it further, smooth it, and join pieces together. Finally, when I’m satisfied with them, I put my pieces in my kiln for a two-stage process that transforms them from delicate clay to strong metal. From there, I make decisions about what parts to polish and/or burnish, add chains and earwires and anything else it needs.
I also work with metal sheet and wire, patinas and gemstones. I use hammers, files, jeweler’s saws, torches, and other tools and methods to create jewelry like my filigree pieces, gemstone pendants, and other beautiful pieces. Sometimes I combine these processes with my metal clay work!
Creating beautiful things fulfills a need for me; I am happiest with a tool in my hand, whether that’s a paintbrush, a file, a clay roller, or a torch! ”
Follow Bonnie on social media for more insight into her techniques.
www.Instagram.com/toneylady
www.Facebook.com/ToneyDesignsJewelryandFineArts