Bonnie Kelso is a talented artist and illustrator of children's books, a muralist, adventurer, educator, mom and more. She loves and admires her mother, Sharon, who accomplished and overcame a lot through out her life. Sharon had more aspirations after retirement and her three daughters were there to help her pursue her dreams of making people laugh and so much more. Hope you enjoy the listen.
It was such a joy to speak with my guest, Bonnie Kelso. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), she's been working in the arts her whole life and it seems to fit her perfectly. As an illustrator of kid's books, she loves sharing her adventures in the outdoors from around the world with her readers. Her books are fun, informational and beautiful to look at. Bonnie was given some sound advice about becoming an author and says "my specialty is making complex information more accessible." Advice she was given when first starting out was "to write about something that you really care about and know about."
"Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea" was released in 2023 and she loves teaching kids about Nudibranch-(sea slugs. pronounced noo-dee brink). Coming in 2024 are two more books, "Wonder of the Woods" and "Quail Trail."
Sharon, Bonnie's mom, had her head in a book from a young age. She loved her relationship with the characters and it became her safe and happy place. Sharon worked hard in high school wanting to get a scholarship so she could continue on to college. She became an english teacher and eventually worked her way up from bookkeeper to Exec Director of a Non Profit. Sharon worked at "United Community Ministries and Micro Enterprise for twenty plus years.
After retirement, Sharon still had more dreams and aspirations to pursue. What she was most moved by was making people laugh. Her daughters stepped in and encouraged her to pursue her stand-up comedy dreams. They set up a Youtube page, "Sharon Kelso Comedy Diva." https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sharon+kelso+comedy+diva
It's never too late to fulfill your dreams and Sharon Kelso is a perfect example of all the surprises life hands us, if we're willing to let go of our insecurities and take that risk!
Both Bonnie had her mom practice Reiki.
KIDS BOOKS:
Nudi Gill: Poison Powerhouse of the Sea, Gnome Road Publishing, ©2023
In a Cave, Written by Heather Ferranti Kinser, Gnome Road Publishing, ©2023
Sea Smiles, Gnome Road Publishing, ©2024
Wonder of the Woods, The Little Press, ©2024
Quail Trail, Muddy Boots, ©2024
Wonder of the Woods, The Little Press, ©2024
Quail Trail, Muddy Boots, ©2024
Video- Facts: The Nudibranch
https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=580b38a03aa9e71a&q=nudibranch&tbm=vid&source=lnms&prmd=ivsnmbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjfnKSujPqFAxVJm4kEHbMwBcUQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1344&bih=788&dpr=2#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:fa81f280,vid:yE4yDALUVV4,st:0
YOUTUBE LINK PASEO VERDE LIBRARY, NEVADA- MURAL ART TIME LAPSE:https://bonniekelso.com/murals-2/
SOCIALS:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/bonnie.kelso/
X: https://twitter.com/bonniekelso
FB: https://www.facebook.com/bonnie.kelso
BONNIE’S WEBSITE: https://bonniekelso.com/
United Community Ministries:
https://unitedcommunityministries.org/contact/