Bonnie Lecat has been working as a professional artist and designer for twenty years. She studied Fine Art and Illustration at Columbia College in Chicago, IL. where she graduated in 1988. Her career began as an art director and illustrator for various design, advertising and marketing agencies. While her love of design was being nourished as an art director and illustrator, it wasn't until she discovered mural painting that she truly felt fulfilled as an artist. When she purchased her first home in 1992 she started filling it with murals, stencils and faux finishes and knew she had found a new direction in her life.

Bonnie started her decorative painting career painting and designing whimsical children's rooms. Her career reached a turning point in 2002 when she was comissioned to help remodel a Chicago restaurant, providing them with large murals, faux finishes and trompe loeil work.

Bonnie lives in Northbrook, IL. with her husband and two daughters.She is surrounded by a strong community of local artists. She recently completed a seven part mural for one of the local grammar schools and was featured on a local television program where she was able to showcase her work. Bonnie exhibits often in the Chicago area.

Bonnie draws inspiration from masters such as Raphael, Waterhouse, Bougeureau, Rosetti, and Michelangelo, to name a few. She travelled to Rome in 2007 where she was fortunate to study with master artisans, Nicola Vigini, Pascal Amblard, Pierre Finkelstein and Sean Crosby. There, she fell in love with the art and architecture that would become the driving force of her career. "The perfection and quality of craftsmanship I saw in Italy seemed almost miraculous to me. I feel so fortunate to wake up every day and strive to be a better artist because I now know what is possible."

Bonnie will begin teaching this fall at Faux Design Studio in Addison, IL. Her classes will focus on incorporating faux finishes and textures into murals, while teaching basic design and fine art skills to faux finishers. "My hope is to bring the best of both faux and mural painting together to create more interesting and sophisticated murals to the marketplace."