Todd Bonita

Todd Bonita earned his BFA with honors from the Art Institute of Boston in 1996.  He was awarded “Best in Illustration” and the “AIB Purchase Award.”  From 2000-2002 he continued his post baccalaureate study of classical painting and drawing at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.  He periodically continues private study of the French Academy drawing and painting tradition with noted instructors from The Paul Ingbretson Atelier in Manchester, New Hampshire and Dennis Cheaney at the New England Realist Art Center in Boston.

He began his career as an illustrator and mural painter creating works for newspapers, magazines, book publishers and design firms.  His clients included Disney, MTV, Random House, Simon and Schuster, McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin, United Way, and dozens of others.  His illustrations appear in over thirty books.  He has worked for many of the major book publishing companies and is represented in the children’s book market by agent Maggie Byer Sprinzeles. In 1997, he worked with artist Joanna Ciampa.  They painted a 15’x30’ mural for the Massachusetts State Police of  five fallen officers who were killed in the line of duty.

In 1997 he worked as a chainsaw sculptor on Cape Cod for World Champion chainsaw artist, Barre Pinske.  From 2000-2003 he worked for A.C.Coin and slot company illustrating and designing imagery, murals and sculpture for the gaming industry.  His work can be seen in casinos all over the world.  His most recent staff position was at the Foreside Company in Portland, Maine where he designed, illustrated, sculpted and created merchandise for the home decor industry.  His wall art, designs, and sculptures can be found in TJMaxx, Home Goods, Home Depot, boutiques and gift shops in all fifty states and parts of Canada.

As an oil painter, Bonita’s focus is often on small watercraft. His modest dories and tenders are imbued with a deep sense of psychological mystery. The softness of light on these solitary vessels, resting quietly at their moorings or tethered securely to abandoned docks, seems to take the viewer outside the normal strictures of time to a more mystical state. Bonita writes, “I paint what is familiar to my background… introspective memories of my childhood…they’re contemplative, reflective of where I grew up.  I guess I’m digging into my soul.” His paintings reflect his fascination with the humble strength and timeless beauty of small-scale working watercraft.