Nina Bonos lives in the Sonoma wine country of northern California. Her vibrant watercolor paintings and mixed-media collages reflect sunshine and abundance, growth and spirituality.
Inspired by the fertile landscape and lush gardens surrounding her studio, Nina creates exuberant, soul-nurturing images. Her distinctive Seven Sacred Species Series – named after a Deuteronomy passage identifying holy land plants (pomegranates, grapes, olives, figs, dates, wheat and barley) – are collected worldwide.
Sonoma County and Israel both share a Mediterranean climate.
7 Sacred Species Torah Mantle
Pomegranate Torah Mantle
The hamsa is an ancient symbol of protection, blessing and strength.
7 Sacred Species Hamsa
Pomegranate Trio is a detail from the Pomegranate Torah Mantle.
Pomegranate trio
Seven Sacred Species Windows has details from 6 different paintings, with the sun and moon illustrating the change of seasons and passage of time.
7 Sacred Species Windows
This watercolor collage, composed of 350 hand-cut pieces, was inspired by the pomegranate tree in my backyard.
Pomegranate Tree of Life
Nina’s images are generally printed on archival paper. By special order, customers can choose canvas.
“I love Nina's art. I love the colors, the clean style, and how nature is so often infused. The Pomegranate Tree of Life is perfect for our bedroom. Nina’s art brings so much light and warmth to our room, and we couldn't be happier.”
– Linda, Mountain View, CA
Searching for happiness during the pandemic, Nina created Matisse-inspired collages.
Dancing in My Sacred Species Garden
While sheltering in place during the pandemic, Nina especially missed going to the beach and swimming pool, so she created an underwater ocean scene.
Undersea Adventure
My favorite Matisse quote:
“Creativity takes courage.”
It takes courage to live an artist’s life. Creating joyous paintings takes Nina on inner-journeys where time frequently just disappears. She is forever grateful for her 35-year art practice with its abundant life lessons and opportunities to work with art lovers around the world. If Nina’s work inspires you, or if you have any questions, she would love to hear from you.