Bunny Humphrey has been serious about art all her life. Her family, (originally from Hutchinson, Minnesota), settled in Brainerd in 1945. Bunny remained a resident in “The Lakes Area” ever since. Her talent literally soared after formal study through workshops conducted by the more prominent artists of the time. Not long after, Bunny started conducting workshops and was a favorite teacher at the area vocational school.
Demand for Bunny’s work and her teaching expertise continued to grow. A significant number of Central Minnesota artists have, at one time or another, studied under this lady. Bunny found herself represented by an increasing number of galleries as, “among the best of Contemporary Impressionists”.
Something extraordinary goes on in her work. There is a natural sense for composition paired with an uncanny eye for color. The light source, always present in her paintings, dances on the edges of color, making the work almost magically come alive. Even her signature is unique, with a tiny rabbit sitting next to her name. Bunny’s list of accomplishments is varied and long. Her body of originals numbers literally in the thousands, finding permanent residence in private and corporate collections all over the world.
Issues of aging caused a decline in Bunny’s ability to expend so much of the physical energy it takes to promote a career. It was time for her to enjoy the purist in her soul, painting whatever comes to mind in her studio. This gallery owner approached Bunny and she graciously consented to become one of the artists. They say that business and friendship do not mix. But the strongest bond of friendship has grown never the less. To quote Bunny, “Painting is a way of life, and with this life comes an excitement and joy with the repeated discover of beauty in the everyday, taken for granted things. It’s the desire to experience, to live, and to paint my home, my town, my family and my friends…the natural. Painting springs from an inner compulsion to share one’s ideas about life, love, beauty and sorrow”.
