Bonnet Célou

Célou, a native of Carpentras, France, grew up in the company of animals, nature, and her loving parents, sisters and brothers. Her love for horses started with her first love, Gitan, and Arabian horse that she rode through the hills and valleys of the countryside. In 1981, Célou moved to California, where she found the scent and the warmth of Provence, and was born again. She continued riding her beautiful horses, and it was though this that she realized her dream—to create sculptures in bronze. Having learned the techniques of working with bronze from Bill Yancy at the Hammerman foundry, she used her extensive experience of communicating with horses and channeled it through her hands. As a result, her sculptures demonstrate the gracefulness and spirit of Degas. Her first sculpture, Pawneese was poured in May 985 and sold immediately. Since then, she delivered sculptures to customers in France, Switzerland, and the United States. While doing her work, Célou still rode occasionally at Santa Anita. In 1999, she was honored with the distinction of being the first artist elected “Artist of the Year” by the Fallbrook Art Association. ART IN PUBLIC PLACES 1991 - Célou¹s bust of Charlie Whittingham and his dog Toby was unveiled at Santa Anita Racetrack¹s main paddock on April 13th, Charlie¹s birthday. 2000 - A beautiful bronze, donated to the community by the Fallbrook Village Rotary, was unveiled on October 24th in the Fallbrook Village Square. Entitled ³Bonjour² it captures more than just the friendly nature of the village. It represents the love a new citizen has within her heart for her adopted country. Célou became an American citizen on September 23rd