Wandering through Fanny Bilodeau’s wide range of artistic endeavors and one thought immediately springs to mind: This lady is fun.
Bilodeau, a Kaua‘i artist, may be best known for her “chicken art,” which hangs in Kapa‘a’s Kountry Kitchen and in various galleries around Kaua‘i, but her schedule and talents are varied.
One day, she said, she’ll be painting a jaunty rooster strutting his stuff, the next she’ll have a self-described “brain shift” and may be adding highlights and complex hues to her latest Kaua‘i flora and fauna. Another moment, she said, she may be creating jewelry with beach glass or whimsical collages of the things that make up the her life on Kaua‘i.
“My goal is to have fun with my art,” Bilodeau said, “but hopefully that comes out when folks see my roosters. I love what I do.”
Her biggest inspiration, though, is this island.
“Hawaiian nature is amazing,” she said. “I see the beauty and want to put my impression onto canvas or into jewelry.”
She is joined by her husband, Ron, a contractor who now helps his wife take care of the business side of the art.
“Painting the absurd chickens is a big part of enjoying what I do,” Bilodeau added. “To give the chickens personalities is actually quite easy when you allow yourself to look at the antics of humans. I just give all that a bit of a push into fantasy-land and make the subjects two-legged, round-ish feathered critters. I love giving them personalities.”
The galleries on Kaua‘i that carry her art include Kaua‘i For Life Gifts and Gallery in Hanalei, Aloha Images in Kapa‘a, Kilohana Galleries in Lihu‘e, Na Pali Art Gallery & Coffee House in Hanalei, Halale‘a at The Shops at Kukui‘ula in Koloa, Waimea Plantation Cottages in Waimea and others.
Recently, several of her paintings were chosen by the Hawai‘i State Foundation of Culture and Arts for the Art in Public Places program.
For more information, visit www.bilodeaustudios.wordpress.com, where Bilodeau has written her life story of unique experiences that have instilled a drive and passion to create her own way in the world of art.
