I am a Formalist. Movement, color and texture are of the utmost importance to me. My giant, iconic leaves and pods travel through environments and situations conveying visual dialogues. My bundles add structure and contain the energy of all living things in their wrapped contents. I have always viewed my everyday physical surroundings and experiences through fragmented lenses. Then, I deconstruct and reassemble it all into something else. The shapes tell a story.
Technically, I use direct painting techniques with acrylic and fabric paints in order to create one-of-a-kind fabrics. My respect for traditional quilting, hand embroidery and sewing along with the contemporary method of fusing comprise the structural foundation of each work. When composing a piece, I think of it primarily in a two-dimensional picture plane and then apply the appropriate methodology to build it.
I prefer working with fabric because it is such an approachable medium for viewers. It is incorporated into every aspect of our lives and the expectations people bring to experiencing a work of art made out of fabric are vast...both visceral and intellectual.
I also prefer to use only my own painted fabrics because they are distinctly me, my vision. Plus, I simply love to paint. I love the physical nature of painting, of the medium and the result. I'm happy painting. I am peaceful sewing.
I received both my BFA and MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in Milwaukee, WI and have taught at various colleges and universities. Most recently, I have exhibited in Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Arkansas and Wisconsin.
One major goals is to excite and educate everyone about art and help to remove the stigma that it is only collected and appreciated by those participating in a hierarchical circle. I believe that in order for artists and art to flourish, a new generation of individuals who appreciate art must be cultivated.
I write a weekly blog, http://sonjisays.blogspot.com, detailing my artistic goings-on, as well as presenting informational tutorials once in a while and of course, lots of blahblahblah and images. |
