Cover Artist: Melissa Bonin

When Bayous Speak, Melissa Bonin Listens

Written By: Cayman Clevenger

Photos By: Melissa Bonin and Sydney Johnson

Nestled atop a hill near the Vermillion River, shrouded by the branches of an ancient oak and a curtain of Spanish moss, I explored the Acadiana home, studio, and sanctuary of artist, painter, and poet Melissa Bonin. Bonin, whose parents owned the famed boudin purveyor Bonin’s Quality Meats, is most famous for painting Bayou Teche, a waterway she knows and paints by heart, having grown up on its shores in New Iberia.

Bonin captures the ethereal, mystic beauty of the natural world iconic in her work while perched on the front of her weathered, forest-green canoe. Her first bayou paintings emerged from a need for healing; the waters reflecting the momentum of always moving forward. Bonin channels the feminine energy of the great bayous that surround her onto the canvas, as she reflects the symbol of the triangle in her work, which she creates through perspective, as if the viewer is sitting at the wide mouth of a bayou looking forward as the path narrows with the cypress trees swallowing the water from each side until only a thin inlet remains. She often creates a second triangle from the inlet upward as the bayou opens into the expanse of the sky.

Her compositions are deceptively simple, typically featuring relatively thin applications of oil or acrylic on canvas, with treelines, shorelines, and moss separated by soft, indistinct edges. These forms seem to hover, pulsate, and breathe, creating a dynamic interplay between light and shadow. Bonin’s painting technique involves multiple layers of thin paint, meticulously applied to achieve a luminous, almost ethereal quality, suggesting an air of mystery many associate with the bayous of south Louisiana.

Bonin’s palette ranges from vibrant reds and oranges to somber and tranquil blues, blacks, and purples; her use of color is not merely decorative but romanticizes the way the bayou and waterways make us feel as humans. Bonin captures the emotional and profound feeling of being surrounded by a great body of water. The triangle shape draws the eye to the center and creates a sense of depth and distance Bonin is a classically trained colorist who studied under the great plein air painter Elemore Morgan, Jr. at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now University of Louisiana at Lafayette or ULL. Formally educated under Morgan’s mentorship in the late 1970s and early ’80s, Bonin further honed her craft at prestigious institutions such as Bennington College, the Massachusetts School of Art in Boston, and in France.

Returning to her roots in New Iberia, Bonin co-founded a gallery with fellow local artists, establishing herself in the Acadiana artistic community. She then opened a dazzling gallery on Magazine Street, which she operated until the pandemic. Now based in Lafayette, she continues to produce her evocative works, balancing classical techniques with modern abstraction.

Bonin’s paintings are characterized by their impressionistic portrayal as she captures the emotional resonance of Louisiana’s landscape rather than its literal form. Her art conveys a deep sense of memory and spirituality. “I enlist nature as a metaphor for the human condition: life, death, transformation, and rebirth,” Bonin says.

Bonin’s work feels like a uniquely feminine and modern reinvention of the works of legendary Louisiana artist Alexander John Drysdale, though her works are truly distinct and distinguishable. She paints in more vibrant color palettes, from oranges and purples to teals and blues, capturing the waterways of the bayou state in a uniquely contemporary and romanticized hue. She compares her work more to that of Mark Rothko: “I reduced the landscape to the bare elements like a Rothko painting, but Louisiana is more humid, so it does not have sharp edges; it’s a bit more blurry.” Like Rothko, Bonin’s works are a masterful exploration of color, form, and emotion, positioning her as one of Louisiana’s notable landscape painters. Her paintings, characterized by hazy explorations of color, movement, water, moss, trees, and light, exude a powerful, meditative quality that transcends the mere visual experience.

Galleries globally have exhibited Bonin’s work, and her paintings are part of notable private collections, including those of Emeril Lagasse, Roger Ogden, and Blake Lively, as well as public collections at the Bayou Teche Museum, and displayed in the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion. Bonin was also the first woman to exhibit at the World Acadian Congress Exposition in Canada.

Bonin’s oeuvre, however, spans nearly every aspect of fine artistry, from carving and etching, pen and ink, gold leafing, and oil on canvas. The periods of her work are varied, but they all singularly focus on capturing beauty, whether the splendor of a great natural waterway, the enchanting simplicity of a humble muddy puddle, or the melody of the written word. As a former ballet dancer, she strives to make the motion and movement in her work seem simple and natural, removing all but the necessary to achieve stillness in pursuit of capturing the stunning grandeur of the natural world.

Bonin’s latest work of fine art is a book of poetry and select examples of her artwork that span her career. Her book tour has taken her across the globe, with author talks, book signings, and readings in Francophone communities, from New Iberia and New Orleans to Paris. In a room filled with members of the French and Canadian consulates, Francophiles, poetry, and art enthusiasts, Bonin regaled the audience with selections from her beautiful self-published compilation of French and English poetry.

At nightfall, the backlit line of trees darkens a midnight blue. Perspective is sharpest at its farthest point to form the letter V.

An excerpt from “Lorsque Les Bayous Parlent, When Bayous Speak,” by Melissa Bonin

Bonin began where her introduction to the French language started, holding up a quotidian but well-worn antique Bible that had belonged to her grandmother, found in an armoire. She used the biblical passages to teach herself the language of her ancestors, a language once beaten out of students in schools and reserved for adults’ private conversations at home. With her mother tongue reclaimed, Bonin writes beautifully in French and English, telling the stories of her family, of life, love, and simplicity while celebrating the shared experiences of growing up in south Louisiana.

Melissa Bonin’s artistic journey is a testament to her profound connection with the natural world and her ability to translate its majesty into captivating works of art. Through her mastery of color, form, and emotion, she captures the essence of Louisiana’s landscapes, evoking a deep sense of memory and spirituality. Bonin’s works continue to resonate with audiences, reflecting her unique blend of classical techniques and modern abstraction. Her evocative portrayal of the waterways provides viewers with a profound and meditative connection, as well as a reminder to seek-out and appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us in Louisiana.

You can find Bonin’s work and purchase her book at MelissaBonin.com.