Late this last year, I was fortunate to connect with nice folks in France who knew Ellie Bogardus. As I wrote earlier, I was on a quest to find copies of her art work. As it turned out, by using her name in my blog, I ended up getting copies of her work and more when I heard from people in Los Angeles and France who knew her or were friends of others who did, and the rest is art history. I have compiled my emails with the Bonnard family in France - these give some more glimpses of details about the artist.
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| J.M. Bonnard Drawing - Coast House on Nottingham Drive (demolished) |
(Received some time in November) Hi Jeff, I received your messages on the site of my sister Justine. I am very pleased that there are new pictures of Ellie in your blog. I had a job that I was delayed, but in the days come, I will send you the pictures. Paintings of 1964-1967(?). Your drawings are nice, and I am happy to see the house Ellie in 1995. I also send you pictures of the house, in years 60's. I hope you are well, too. See you soon, Mathias PS: My blog will soon be translated into English. I would be happy that you can read it.
Friday, November 25, 2011 11:00:46 AM Please help, again. Justine, I must have deleted my earlier emails with Mathius, so don't have his current email address. Would you please send it to me again? Also, I found a couple of sketches I made (I am not an artist) 25 years ago of Ellie's house at the ocean in Cambria. The first is a perspective of the front of the house facing the road away from the ocean. The second is a very rough drawing of the characters on the south-facing exterior wall. From my sketch, it looks like that part of the house had a flat roof, so Ellie's exterior "canvas" was a rectangle. My wife knows where our box of miscellaneous slides are that may have images of the house. Those were the pre-digital days, so I didn't take many frivolous shots back then. My apologies to you and Mathius for being so slow to dig into the archives - my work schedule has be very hectic, but I am in a four-day holiday, so am making this a priority. Jeff
26/11/11 00:41 Re: Please help, again. Justine, Please also pass on the attached photograph that was taken in 1995. This is Ellie's house. I dug through boxes of old photographs, and was only able to find this one. Notice the mailbox in front of the house is built to look like a cat. Also, earlier this wee I received a message from a woman in Los Angeles, who happens to be an animation instructor at the University of Southern California, and she and her husband have just acquired a collection of Ellie's paintings. You can view the paintings at my blog: http://blueskiesinannapolis.blogspot.com/2011/11/ellie-bogardus-hotel-california.html Please let Mathius know I look forward to hearing from him. Thanks for your help. Jeff
Dec 12/04/11 1:34 PM Hi Jeff! Sorry for my late answer, I'm not often on this email. My official address is jbonnard@wanadoo.fr That of Mathias is mbonnard2@wanadoo.fr I sent your two messages to Mathias. And I want to thank you for your article on my work. Glad you like it :))) I love your sketches and the photography of the house of Ellie. I am touched to see this house. It is identical to my memory. This trip to California marked me for life. I loved this place. And I'm sad it was destroyed. And glad to see all these Elli's paintings. It's very interesting because the paintings we have are very different. They don't date from the same period. Have a good day! Justine
Le 4 déc. 2011 à 19:57: Justine, I just sent you the images of the paintings and the photograph of Ellie's house to your other email. Thanks for your reply. Jeff
Dec 12/04/11 1:02 PM I had good reception! The colors of the paintings ellie, painted in the 1970s, are more free than the paintings of the 1960s. See you soon, and soon, Mathias! PS: For your blog, I would look.
Dec 12/04/11 2:16 PM Great!! Thank you :) There is a resemblance to Matisse in his paintings. I think. I hope that Mathias will send you soon pictures of paintings we have. See you soon. Justine
Dec 12/04/11 10:57 AM Hi Jeff, I received your messages on the site of my sister Justine. I am very pleased that there are new pictures of Ellie in your blog. I had a job that I was delayed, but in the days come, I will send you the pictures. Paintings of 1964-1967(?). Your drawings are nice, and I am happy to see the house Ellie in 1995. I also send you pictures of the house, in years 60's. I hope you are well, too. See you soon, Mathias. PS: My blog will soon be translated into English. I would be happy that you can read it.
Le 4 déc. 11 à 18:47, jeff_steiner@comcast.net a écrit: Mathius, I hope all of the images I sent got through to you. There were 12 paintings, and one photograph of the house from 1985. Let me know if you want any other images that appear on my blog. Jeff
Friday, November 25, 2011 11:00:46 AM Please help, again. Justine, I must have deleted my earlier emails with Mathius, so don't have his current email address. Would you please send it to me again? Also, I found a couple of sketches I made (I am not an artist) 25 years ago of Ellie's house at the ocean in Cambria. The first is a perspective of the front of the house facing the road away from the ocean. The second is a very rough drawing of the characters on the south-facing exterior wall. From my sketch, it looks like that part of the house had a flat roof, so Ellie's exterior "canvas" was a rectangle. My wife knows where our box of miscellaneous slides are that may have images of the house. Those were the pre-digital days, so I didn't take many frivolous shots back then. My apologies to you and Mathius for being so slow to dig into the archives - my work schedule has be very hectic, but I am in a four-day holiday, so am making this a priority. Jeff
26/11/11 00:41 Re: Please help, again. Justine, Please also pass on the attached photograph that was taken in 1995. This is Ellie's house. I dug through boxes of old photographs, and was only able to find this one. Notice the mailbox in front of the house is built to look like a cat. Also, earlier this wee I received a message from a woman in Los Angeles, who happens to be an animation instructor at the University of Southern California, and she and her husband have just acquired a collection of Ellie's paintings. You can view the paintings at my blog: http://blueskiesinannapolis.blogspot.com/2011/11/ellie-bogardus-hotel-california.html Please let Mathius know I look forward to hearing from him. Thanks for your help. Jeff
Dec 12/04/11 1:34 PM Hi Jeff! Sorry for my late answer, I'm not often on this email. My official address is jbonnard@wanadoo.fr That of Mathias is mbonnard2@wanadoo.fr I sent your two messages to Mathias. And I want to thank you for your article on my work. Glad you like it :))) I love your sketches and the photography of the house of Ellie. I am touched to see this house. It is identical to my memory. This trip to California marked me for life. I loved this place. And I'm sad it was destroyed. And glad to see all these Elli's paintings. It's very interesting because the paintings we have are very different. They don't date from the same period. Have a good day! Justine
Le 4 déc. 2011 à 19:57: Justine, I just sent you the images of the paintings and the photograph of Ellie's house to your other email. Thanks for your reply. Jeff
Dec 12/04/11 1:02 PM I had good reception! The colors of the paintings ellie, painted in the 1970s, are more free than the paintings of the 1960s. See you soon, and soon, Mathias! PS: For your blog, I would look.
Dec 12/04/11 2:16 PM Great!! Thank you :) There is a resemblance to Matisse in his paintings. I think. I hope that Mathias will send you soon pictures of paintings we have. See you soon. Justine
Dec 12/04/11 10:57 AM Hi Jeff, I received your messages on the site of my sister Justine. I am very pleased that there are new pictures of Ellie in your blog. I had a job that I was delayed, but in the days come, I will send you the pictures. Paintings of 1964-1967(?). Your drawings are nice, and I am happy to see the house Ellie in 1995. I also send you pictures of the house, in years 60's. I hope you are well, too. See you soon, Mathias. PS: My blog will soon be translated into English. I would be happy that you can read it.
Le 4 déc. 11 à 18:47, jeff_steiner@comcast.net a écrit: Mathius, I hope all of the images I sent got through to you. There were 12 paintings, and one photograph of the house from 1985. Let me know if you want any other images that appear on my blog. Jeff
Dec 12/10/11 5:01 PM Hi Jeff ! Finally, the pictures of Ellie Bogardus, and my Father. Hi Jeff! Here are pictures of Ellie Bogardus: There are 09 pictures of Ellie. The paintings were made between 1964 and 1967. The paintings are dated 1967, because
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| J.M. Bonnard - Self Portrait |
Ellie had come to France in 1990 or 1991. The paintings were not signed before his trip to France. There are 06 paintings by Jean-Marie Bonnard (Father). Paintings made at the same time. There are 01 painting by FRED PENNEY. A Portrait of My Father. A painter and neighbor of Ellie and my Father in Cambria in the sixties. I hope you are well. You can put them on your BLOG, no problem! See you soon, Mathias. PS: I also send pictures of Ellie's house in the 60's. In my Father's house there are other pictures of Ellie, but they are not hanging on the walls. These paintings are in attics. I photograph them too. (If you have a problem with the names of the JPEG files or the ZIP files, tell me. I could not use my usual email. If you have problems, use "mbonnard2@wanadoo.fr")
Sunday, December 11, 2011 4:56:50 AM Hi, Jeff ! Yesterday, I sent you an address "hotmail" paints pictures of Ellie. I hope you have received. With this address "Wanadoo" my message is not starting. If you have not received anything, tell me! See you soon, Mathias.
Sunday, December 11, 2011 4:56:50 AM Hi, Jeff ! Yesterday, I sent you an address "hotmail" paints pictures of Ellie. I hope you have received. With this address "Wanadoo" my message is not starting. If you have not received anything, tell me! See you soon, Mathias.
Dec 12/11/11 11:22 AM I'm glad you received everything! The URL address of my blog is: http://onethirteenmoneytime.blogspot.com/ If you have any questions, no problem! See you soon, Mathias PS: Yes, Ellie's paintings of the 70's are inspired by Matisse.
Le 11 déc. 11 à 13:00 Mathias, Also, what is the url for your blog? I found it a week ago, but have not found it again. Thanks, Jeff
Le 11 déc. 11 à 19:43, jeff_steiner@comcast.net a écrit : Thanks again, Mathias. Another question, Ellie is not your and Justine's mother, correct? I have been assuming she is not. I will look forward to the additional images. Jeff
Dec 12/11/11 1:50 PM No, Ellie was not our mother. Ellie has not had children. Soon, Mathias
Dec 12/12/11 4:56 AM My father is alive. He's born in 1936. He has a blog, where he designed on computer. But it doesn't paint a lot. His blog: http://www.vagabon-art.com/ He painted especially during his marriage to Ellie and when he was a student at the Beaux Arts (Fine Art school) in Nancy. He did not paint much. But he painted at the moment. I told him of course talked about our exchanges. He likes to interact with others and have very great and good Remember California. If you want more information on him? I'll see today. He will see your blog! See you, Mathias PS : I put your blog in my "BLOG + +" from my blog. I hope you have visits to France on your blog : - )
Dec 12/14/11 5:18 AM Hi Jeff, I've never been to Budapest. In agriculture, are there any exchanges between the United States and France? I know that France is in Europe, the country where there is more agriculture and most of European subsidies. As soon as I find the pictures of Ellie's house in the 60's, I send them to you. See you soon, Mathias
(I deleted the original messages, December) Oh, and I have not been to France. My only work trip in Europe was to Budapest - perhaps Ireland for work early in 2012. J.
Le 11 déc. 11 à 13:00 Mathias, Also, what is the url for your blog? I found it a week ago, but have not found it again. Thanks, Jeff
Le 11 déc. 11 à 19:43, jeff_steiner@comcast.net a écrit : Thanks again, Mathias. Another question, Ellie is not your and Justine's mother, correct? I have been assuming she is not. I will look forward to the additional images. Jeff
Dec 12/11/11 1:50 PM No, Ellie was not our mother. Ellie has not had children. Soon, Mathias
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| Portrait |
Dec 12/14/11 5:18 AM Hi Jeff, I've never been to Budapest. In agriculture, are there any exchanges between the United States and France? I know that France is in Europe, the country where there is more agriculture and most of European subsidies. As soon as I find the pictures of Ellie's house in the 60's, I send them to you. See you soon, Mathias
(I deleted the original messages, December) Oh, and I have not been to France. My only work trip in Europe was to Budapest - perhaps Ireland for work early in 2012. J.
(I deleted the original messages, December) Thanks for the additional information - I enjoy learning more, and will look at your father's blog. Jeff
12/21/11 11:50 AM Dear Jean-Marie, Thank you for your reply and the additional details. I have enjoyed learning about your art, and that of Mathias and Justine - your family is quite talented. I am 57 and married for 35 years, have grown four children: 31, 29, 27, and 23. My parents (in their late 80's) still regularly use their house in Cambria, but live in Visalia - they will continue to enjoy the coast until my father can no longer drive. Their Cambria house is just a couple of blocks walk from the house you lived in. I work for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and have been in administration for the past six years in the Washington, D.C. area. As you can probably see, I blog around a few regular themes - mostly birds and some about the military experiences - one of my sons served in the U.S. Army for four year, and the youngest is training as a pilot in the Navy - I did not serve in the military, so this has been an adjustment for my wife and me. I write my blog for my grandchildren - for when they want to know more about what their grandfather thought about when they are older, and I am ancient. Take care, thanks again, and I hope you have a good Christmas. Jeff
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| Bonnard greeting card |
also works for the United States) I enclose a drawing of the house of Aunt Ellie that I made in 1999 during our last visit to Cambria. Encore bonne année et bonne santé et grosses bises à vous tous! Mathias, Justine, Yolande & Jean marie Bonnard
Jan 01/07/12 9:11 AM Mathius, Thank you and all the best to you and your family in the New Year. I appreciate connecting with new friends in France. Jeff
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Addendum: My sister-in-law was raised in Cambria. She has interest in the recent Bogardus discoveries.
Sunday, December 11, 2011, 1:54 PM Here are the rest of Ellie's.
Dec 12/12/11 11:07 AM Thanks, Jeff. I only wish the guy in Los Angeles was as good a photographer as Bonnard. I wouldn't mind having better quality photos of that collection. I remember when I was at Ellie's once, she was working on a painting called Pink Lady or Pink Ladies. A wordplay on the subjects wearing pink and drinking Pink Ladies. There was, of course, a cat or cats relaxing while the ladies enjoyed their cocktails. I like her later paintings because they remind me of Matisse. I once read in a comparison of Matisse and Picasso that Matisse could paint joy. I think Elllie could too. Wishing you and Jan a joyous Christmas if I don't hear from you before then or even if I do. Love, Dana
Dec 12/12/11 11:07 AM Thanks, Jeff. I only wish the guy in Los Angeles was as good a photographer as Bonnard. I wouldn't mind having better quality photos of that collection. I remember when I was at Ellie's once, she was working on a painting called Pink Lady or Pink Ladies. A wordplay on the subjects wearing pink and drinking Pink Ladies. There was, of course, a cat or cats relaxing while the ladies enjoyed their cocktails. I like her later paintings because they remind me of Matisse. I once read in a comparison of Matisse and Picasso that Matisse could paint joy. I think Elllie could too. Wishing you and Jan a joyous Christmas if I don't hear from you before then or even if I do. Love, Dana
Dec 12/12/11 11:25 AM I see Gertrude Stein's Cat as Mona Lisa with Cat. Mirror images across centuries.
I was used to know her and her husband , the time they lived in Italy, my family still owns some of her works. Few days ago I've found some candles (quite hippy looking!) she had crafted with my mom around 1966!!
ReplyDeleteLovely person! I remember she was letting me play whit inks and colours (I was 3/4 y.o.), and also with Mammut, their dachshund I loved.
Cheers!
Alex: Thanks for your comment. Would you be willing to send me photos of the pieces your mention so I can post them? Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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