LIFE IN FULL COLOUR

She was a stressed-out mom in an unhappy marriage and was drowning in debt – then her passion for drawing gave her the confidence to build a thriving business

- MELON RADEBE

SHE was a stressed-out mom with three kids, four dogs and a cat to feed and never enough money to make it to the end of the month.

Life was hard: she’d been mentally abused by her husband for years, her self-esteem was at an all-time low and the family were drowning in debt.

Bonny Snowdon knew she needed to do something drastic to survive, so she turned to the one thing that had long been her dream: making a living out of art. She’d gone to art school, but her lecturers had told her she wasn’t good enough to make it her career.

Then the colouring-in trend came along – and it was enough to reignite her creative spirit and make her believe in herself again.

Today, Bonny (52), who’s from North Yorkshire in the UK, is a professional animal portrait artist with a multi-million-rand online business. She also runs the Bonny Snowdon Academy, which teaches people how to create lifelike drawings of animals, from cats and dogs to horses and pigs.

The academy has 2 500 members made up mainly of women from across the UK, as well as from India, Iran, the US and Australia. Through her business she also supports victims of domestic abuse and this year alone has awarded five free scholarships to her academy.

“I feel like I can give back now because my business is doing really well,” she tells YOU.

Bonny knows how it feels to overcome obstacles. She’s had to heal from the abuse she suffered in her 19-year marriage, fix her finances and learn how to run a business, all while raising her kids.

In the early days things were so tough she considered selling her home and renting instead, but she remained resolute: she would provide for her children and keep the roof over their heads.