Bio
“I feel the tools that are in my hand to determine how I treat the canvas.”
Sonja is an artist currently creating pencil drawings, pastel paintings and digital artwork in Virginia. She has been exhibiting her artwork since 1990 and has been honored with numerous awards since that time. She creates modern abstract art as well as traditional art drawings.
At age eleven Sonja began her first formal art training with oil painting mentor, Sue Smart. Making the kind of impression that only a mentor will have on her student, Sue handed to Sonja the lifelong seed of knowing that art was her “home” in this world.
While still in high school, Sonja was frequently commissioned to draw artworks. She sold several drawings between 1988 and 1992. As a high school senior, Sonja first flexed her exhibit-planning skills by coordinating an unprecedented group art show of fellow classmates. The result was a successful twenty-five student display of more than 50 artworks.
Studying Painting and Printmaking at VCU was a complete joy for Sonja. She relished every single creative moment in college, even while Sonja’s inner business woman nagged at her fears of life as a “starving artist.” Her inner business woman often made it hard for Sonja to justify an artist lifestyle, a contradiction that took years to resolve.
After college, Sonja joined the working world via Fredericksburg Virginia Parks & Recreation Department. Fortunately, Sonja was able to express herself as both a graphic designer and as an exhibit-planner. She gained supervision of four large-scale annual art exhibits and an annual children’s art exposition. She’s very proud that during her career with Parks and Recreation, that she helped over 400 artists every year to display and sell countless artworks.
Following the birth of her third child in 2006, Sonja’s inner business woman took charge again in a very loud way. Anxious over a serious lack of effective communicators in the world of business marketing, Sonja made the leap into entrepreneurship. In 2008 Sonja opened her own marketing and design firm, So Wise Art, LLC, where they partner with business owners to help them create their business image and communicate their message with pride.
Sonja continues to push her artistic boundaries. Using her unique talents and amazing techniques Sonja stretches her talents going where other artists just dream to go. She’s positioned herself to take advantage of new techniques and new ways to present her art. Once having criticized herself for non-traditional methods in her art, she is now embracing her ability to reach all types of artistic souls. And yes, her pieces have been known to spark a debate or two.
When the student is ready the teacher will appear. This website is dedicated to my mentors who gave their precious gifts of teachings to me. I have been ever so fortunate.
