Bonnie has been a full-time professional artist since 1973, and she is best known as the official Tennessee Mule Artist. After moving West, her art expanded, and she found success working with Leanin’ Tree, the largest publisher of Western greeting cards.

Bonnie has sculpted mules and draft horses for bronze pieces and has illustrated books for many well-known authors, including Marguerite Henry’s “Brown Sunshine” and Meredith Hodges’s “Jasper: The Story of a Mule,” along with a collection of related books and a DVD. Meredith, the owner of Lucky Three Productions, L.L.C., created a comprehensive coffee table book showcasing Bonnie Shields’s work, which you can find here: https://www.luckythreeranchstore.com .

As an award-winning artist, Bonnie has designed buckles, posters, and covers for various publications. She is a charter member of Cowboy Cartoonists International and has served on their board, as well as being involved with the American Donkey and Mule Society.

Currently, Bonnie resides in Sandpoint, Idaho, where she continues to paint and illustrate books. We are honored to have Bonnie Shields illustrate “The Kurly Sue Story.”