DATE:
April 2, 2025 - April 27, 2025

ARTISTS:
Amanda Bonanno
Sandra Henke
Emily Nugent
Angela Rizza

CURATOR:
Kelly Edwards

OPENING RECEPTION:
Saturday, April 5, 2025 5:00p - 8:00p

My career as a tattoo artist has allowed me to explore art from a different perspective. The pressure and permanence of it has transformed the way I see canvases. For me art is about the process not the completed project. When painting I like to keep a looseness that generally cannot be replicated on skin. Acrylic and watercolor primarily make up these pieces the subject matters vary all stemming from personal interest.

As an artist, I’m not really big on trying to plan my pieces in advance.
My brain never stops cycling and spiraling and splintering off into a million different thoughts all at once, and trying to plan kind of freezes me in place, overwhelmed by ideas and unable to move forward in the process.
So I just let it organically ooze out, whatever feels “right” in the moment.
Which shape gives me a dopamine hit? Which colors will boost my serotonin levels? At what point does the whole thing give me the fix that I needed at the start? (Once I get that “fix”, I know that piece is done.)
It’s an incredibly healing experience for me, and if a piece of artwork I created sparks joy for someone else, or makes them feel seen, I get this rejuvenated sense of connection to life.

As a tattoo artist and illustrator, much of my work over the past decade has been dedicated to others, leaving little time for personal creative exploration. I used to be prolific in my sketchbooks and personal projects, but client work gradually took priority. For this show, I made a conscious effort to reconnect with my own artistic voice, returning to traditional media and one of my favorite subjects—birds.

In my ink drawings, I studied unique bird species that I’ve long wanted to illustrate but never had the opportunity to incorporate into client work. For my paintings, I finally experimented with gouache, bringing to life ideas that had been waiting in my sketchbook for years. This collection represents a long-overdue return to creating for myself, and I’m excited to share it.

My name is Amanda Bonanno
I have been tattooing for over 15 years and proudly running Iron Butterfly since 2015.  Art in all forms has always been a passion of mine but tattooing has been the most challenging and rewarding part of that journey. I enjoy every aspect, from the challenge of a cover up to building sleeves and back pieces, fine line or bold color, black and grey, I love it all. Personally I enjoy gaming and anime so it’s always a pleasure when I get to share those passions with clients.  I’m incredibly happy and lucky to have a talented staff of women working with me creating a comfortable and safe environment for both clientele and artists. Come check us out.

I grew up in Shrub Oak, NY, and graduated from Bard College in 2004, majoring in Studio Art with a focus in sculpture and painting. 
I got my first tattoo a week after my 18th birthday, fell in love with the art and whole culture of it, and haven’t stopped since! 
I’ve been at Iron Butterfly since October of 2019 but as of 2025, have been tattooing for a little over 8 years in total. 
I enjoy every project and design I get to work on with my clients because I genuinely love tattooing, and am indescribably grateful that I get to do it as a career. 
Vibrant bold color work is my absolute favorite, but I also enjoy black and grey and fine line styles. 
Humor is super important to me in my life, and I love bringing a bit of silliness to my work whenever possible.  
So come on down to chat, have a laugh, and get stabbed!

I’ve been in the tattoo industry for over 15 years and tattooing professionally in the Hudson Valley for over 13 years. In that time I have taken on all different styles of work. My personal favorite styles include black and grey, illustrative, neo-traditional, and really anything that involves nature, animals, plants, the female form or organic elements.

I love the creative process, which has taken root in all my hobbies, including painting, drawing, jewelry making, embroidery, sewing, and many more crafty pursuits. I also love antiques, oddities, being in nature, hiking, watching terrible horror movies, and snuggling with my cats.

I feel extremely thankful to be in a profession that gives life to creativity, and I see collaborating with clients as an opportunity to bring their ideas, aesthetics, memories, and experiences to life in a personal way that will stand the test of time. Whether I’m doing a simple outline or an intricate back piece, I want my clients to feel confident and excited with their work. 

My work is inspired greatly by the wildlife around my home and my favorite stories I read growing up. My earliest art lessons were from my grandparents John and Martha Leone, who were professional artists. Later on I continued my education at the Fashion Institute of Technology where I focused on illustration.

After college I spent over a decade working in the illustration industry. I worked mostly with childrens books that focused on nature and science. I returned to FIT as an adjunct professor for a few years. Then in 2021 I began to learn how to tattoo at Iron Butterfly where I have been since. 

I focus mostly on the fine line black and grey style and you can say my work still has an illustrative vibe to it. My favorite subjects are flora and fauna, but I also love doing portraits, pop culture favs, fantasy, and I also like doing coverups.