Calaveras County Arts Council • 22 North Main Street• San Andreas • CA • 95247
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Sonya Ziegler

Oil paintings
209.304.6469
33 Lower Dorray Rd.
​Facebook: Sonya Ziegler
Instagram: Sonya Ziegler

sonyaziegler.com


Oil painting of mountains
Sawtooth Mountains ,
Oil painting
Oil painting of grapes
Tempranillo
Oil painting
ARTIST  STATEMENT

I have always been fascinated with the mysteries of nature; her work flowing, waxing and waning as the seasons change— as the earth evolves, responding and  adapting to trial and tribulations.  I see myself in a mirror image, and as I get older my work molding to more informed and tempered feelings, intellect, passions and introspection. I'm most influenced by Tonalism and Contemporary Traditionalism.  I love the abstract poetry of paint and rendered light-- there is a certain romance and emotion to this kind of painting that I find very intriguing. I am careful to observe that every mark I make upon the canvas, even if later partially painted over or deleted, will influence the final piece-- a silent record of the construction of a painting and it's creative process--- the rich surface influencing the emotion of the finished work.  

Painting is, for me, simply the best way to express my visions, emotions, thoughts, and desires---  hopefully instilling in the viewer a sense of the largeness and fragility of life, the wondrous mysteries of nature, and the bittersweet beauty of our remembered pasts and the ever changing world around us. I tend to work in series, exploring and extracting what I need and then moving on.  I am constantly looking for ways to grow, never satisfied with staying moored to the shore. I am influenced by nature, my intellect, and the strong emotional memories of my past; as thoughts are remembered, I endeavor to make sense of life and the world around me, seeking to put the illogical into a cohesive framework. This is my mark-making, where I am free to create harmonious orderliness out of chaos that I find so elusive in life—compelling me to  look deeper and to make connections with paths crossed long ago.

BIOGRAPHY

As a child, I spent many solitary hours drawing from my imagination or any object that caught my eye. I sold my first drawing when I was 12 years old, and soon started to receive requests for commissioned work. I started with watercolor, eventually learning how to paint with oils in my teenage years. I received a small oil painting set for my 14th birthday, and immediately fell in love with the thick opacity of the paint and subtle mixing possibilities that only this medium can offer. I started to paint prolifically at this point and continued to study art in high school, receiving many awards and winning an art scholarship to San Jose State University.  

In college, I was fortunate to study with several noted Bay Area artists, among them the late Eileen Gilbert-Hill, who was the Art Director at Mission College in Santa Clara, California in the 1980's. She was extremely involved with the Bay Area Figurists; as a result I received a fantastic education from her wealth of knowledge and personal connections. She was a phenomenal teacher who opened my eyes to alternative techniques and mediums, and other artists who thought outside the box. She also was instrumental in my interest in color theory and composition. Eileen’s mentoring has affected me profoundly, and to this day I continue to employ her techniques for the individual journey and fostering of the creative process.

In addition to painting, I am also an avid photographer. I built my own darkroom when I was 15 years old, and was experimenting with printing on different types of paper and developing unorthodox techniques. Today, I am never without at least one of my three cameras. My eyes see color, shape and pattern wherever I go, and I am obsessed with documenting the world as I see and experience it.  A loner by nature, I am keenly observant and often reflective.  The beauty of nature inspires me, as well as human condition that relates specifically to loneliness, heartache, desire, love, solitude and memory.  I love the photographic process, especially the editing process, where I am free to inject my thoughts and feelings into the work.  

I strive to produce artwork with an emphasis on texture, layers, composition, line, form, and color.  I am infinitely interested in how these elements relate to each other on a flat surface within the confines of a canvas, or my camera lens.  I have an insatiable desire to learn and be creative, always keeping my mind open to new possibilities, techniques, and artistic concepts.

I currently reside in the Sierra foothills in California.
Painting of asparagus
Asparagus in a Pot
Oil painting
Oil painting of tahoe
Along the Athabasca
Oil painting
Oil painting of horses
Headed Home
Oil painting

The mission of the Calaveras County Arts Council is to build a united community by awakening, supporting, and nourishing the arts. 


Gallery Hours

Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday and Saturday by appointment only
Email goldrusharts18@gmail.com for an appointment or call 209/754-1774 (message)
Logo Calaveras County Arts Council
Contact the Arts Council

Address/Telephone/Email

PO Box 250​
​22 North Main St.,
San Andreas, CA  95249
209.754.1774
goldrusharts18@gmail.com
The Calaveras County Arts Council is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation.  Founded in 1981, our purpose is to coordinate excellence in the presenting and promotion of the visual and performing arts of all cultures for artists, residents and visitors.  Our staff is comprised of an executive director, a consultant grant writer, and a part-time assistant under the direction of an 11-member volunteer Board of Directors.  FIN 94-2779793
© Calaveras County Arts Council - 2021 | Designed and maintained by Margaret Sloan Creative Services​
  • Home
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    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Guitars Un-Strung
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Arts In Education
    • Poetry Out Loud
    • ArtSpirit
    • Scholarships >
      • Online Scholarship Application
  • 2022 Artists Studio Tours
  • Artists Studio Tour
    • For participating artists >
      • How to have a successful Artist Studio Tour
      • How to submit photos
  • Call for Entries
  • Artist resources
  • Artists Studio Tours