The Hunter Artisan Gallery & Cafe

My fascination is with the human form… with people and their stories. My work takes form utilising different mediums, particularly charcoal/pastels, inks, ceramic and acrylics, combined with the techniques of painting, drawing, ceramic-work, sculpture and print-making. I use whatever medium is appropriate to transform my ideas into reality, with a preference to using multi-medium, often with the combination of natural and man-made materials.

I am fascinated by the process of how we transform throughout life, the journey more so than the destination and how the stories of others can change us, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

My personal life journey has given me much insight. It has taken me from the depths of despair to the heights of happiness and peace and it is these constantly changing transitions between emotions that direct and inspire my work.

I love the beauty of the broken, the lost, the damaged, the forgotten, the sad, the disenfranchised, the imperfect… the perfection of imperfection.

My work is inspired by photographer Diane Arbus and painter Alice Neel, both of whom also embodied this narrative. Diane Arbus once said ‘The subject is more important than the picture’...a statement that I fully endorse.

"I am a creator. I use my highly emotional states to create art. It doesn’t matter what mediums I have on hand; whatever I have, I use, to express myself. I have many styles of art, and I hate being put in a teeny tiny art box. I am not an abstract artist, an expressionist, a watercolourist; I do not draw, or make marks exclusively. I do all of these things, and I love doing all of these things, because its what I was destined to do.

I do have a few mediums that I prefer, and each has its own draw depending on my mood and needs at the time. When I need a sense of control and meditation, I make cuts in lino and create linoprints; when I’m sad or angry, or highly elated, I use acrylic and mixed media on canvas to express my emotion; when I need focus I work on fine detail in my watercolours; and if I’m stuck creatively, or just want to ‘lash out’, I use inks and make marks on paper. 

I work at 100%, with all my nerve and fibre to create art, nothing is half assed, and the anxiety, paranoia, and self-talk I overcome to create my art makes it all the more sweet. I believe in my work, and I’m proud of everything I have achieved.

I have a natural desire for balance in composition, but I am currently pushing against that natural desire to extend my practice in new and exciting ways. The desire for balance stems from a life of imbalance, and while its good for us humans to be controlled and to comform, art is a different monster. Art needs a certain imbalance for viewers to ask the questions, to form the opinions, and to create the emotions. 

As artists, we all want to believe that our little art practice will change the world of art; that one day, when we’re dead and buried, we’ll be like Van Gogh or Kandisnky. I am no different, and I have illusions of grandiosity. I imagine a ménage à trois (love triangle) with Vincent and Vassily, they are a huge inspiration in my art, and also in my life. Like Vincent, I have a mental illness, and have been hospitalised, although these days with medication and medical research I am not nearly as sick as Vincent was, but “to be just a little bit crazy helps in the artistic process, it helps to free the mind, to allow for the space for new ideas to grow.” Kandinsky, on the other hand, was all about the ‘spiritual’ in art, using colours and shapes to express his ethos. I am what I would consider a spiritualist. I have my own belief system, and my work is an extension of those beliefs, even though you, as viewers, may not see it.

I want my art to resonate with my audience. I want You to think. Why did she put that yellow stripe there? What is the significance of that blue square that fades into infinity? What does she mean by that great title, does it reflect the artwork, how does it relate to me?"

Sonja has completed her Diploma in Visual Arts and is currently completing the Advanced Diploma in Visual Arts at Newcastle Art School.

Although this is Sonja’s first solo exhibition, she has participated in a number of group exhibitions and her works have been chosen as finalists in a number of prestigious art prizes.

Not just a pretty face - Boonah QLD 2015

Depth of Whimsy - Ipswich QLD 2015 Diploma Exhibition - Newcastle Art School 2017 NEAP (Newcastle Emerging Artist Prize) - finalist 2017 Diploma Exhibition - Newcastle Art School 2018 NEAP (Newcastle Emerging Artist Prize) - finalist 2018 

For this exhibition ‘The Emergence of Hope’, Sonja is showcasing works completed over the past 2 years and has included lino-prints, woodblock prints, acrylic works and watercolour and ink works.

Artist David Oberdorf was born in Maitland, NSW. His artistic skills were recognised at high school when chosen to illustrate and draw cartoons for Maitland High School’s weekly news sheet, which extended over a two year period.

Following school he worked for 22 years as a press photographer before pursuing his passion for art full time in 1994 when he began drawing house portraits. An exhibition of his work was held at Maitland City Art Gallery that year.

Since this time demand has grown significantly for David’s house portraits, which he draws by hand in fine ink from photographs. Many requests are made by proud home owners or people wishing to give their favourite relative or friend a lasting and unique portrait of their home. Orders are also often taken for church portraits, to become a timeless gift and celebration of the wedding for the bride and groom.

David has completed numerous commissions for Maitland, Newcastle and Blacktown City Councils which included public buildings, hotels and tourist sites.

David’s photographically accurate and highly detailed house portraits have been featured on NBN television and in Better Homes & Gardens magazine.