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Sonya dinsdale, sonya, dinsdale, utah artist, sonya dinsdale, sonya dinsdale, utah artist, abstract art utahtttististt
“Painters must speak through paint not words.” – Hans Hoffman
Biography
Sonya’s long and varied career in the art world has taken her many places. She began at the University of Utah, graduating with a BFA in studio arts and printmaking while working as a research assistant on the Utah Museum of Fine Arts African Art collection (all the while dabbling in architectural history and design). Passion for African art landed her in art history graduate study at UCLA. She now works in the architectural industry and paints.
What distinguishes me from other painters? My unwavering belief in Hans Hoffman's dictum: Painters must speak through paint not words.
My preferred medium is acrylic on paper. Smooth paper allows me to create my own textures through layers of opaque and translucent paint. This technique also allows me to achieve articulation of perspective and depth through color. There is a moment when a composition comes to life, becoming vibrant, radiating energy. It is my job.
Most of my initial ideas come from design and fashion magazines and the New York Times. I dont paint about the stories, but about the colors and textures in the pictures and graphics. I rip out pages and collage them into compositions, then paint. My own experiences come into play once ideas are on paper. These ideas can revolve around memories of a fantastic painting such as Peter Paul Reubens cartoon study for The Temple of Janus, or seeing architectural detailing in facades, windows and doorways in different cities, or just recollections of Lux, my dog. In St. Petersburg I was fascinated by the patina on the Corinthian columns at the Kazan Cathedral and the human mask keystones on the exterior windows of the Winter Palace, one of the buildings of the Hermitage. These textures and images find their way into my work, but not directly. They appear through suggestive brush strokes, compositions of forms and color.
As in all abstract art, mark-making plays an important role. Crosses forms appear in a lot of my work, but rarely as expressions of religion. A cross is a division of space that represents panes in a window, or a door frame. Windows and doors can trap you, set you free, or provide a view. My mark-making is also characterized by raw sweeping brush strokes. These hold the composition together, uniting what otherwise might seem like scattered paint. This having been achieved, the painting takes on a life of its own. It becomes a cohesive system of color. This is why I paint.
Previous Shows
2011, February - March, Utah Arts Fesitval Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
2011, May-June, Tin Angel Cafe, Salt Lake City, Utah
2010, November - December Bountiful/Davis Art Center, Holiday Show, Bountiful, Utah
2010, March - April, Tin Angel Café, Salt Lake City, Utah
2010, Janauary - February, Bountiful Davis Art Center, Bountiful, Utah
2010, January - February, Sweet Library - Salt Lake Public Library System, Salt Lake City, Utah
2009, July - September, Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery (invitational group show), Cedar City, Utah
2009, August - September, Celebrating the Diversity of Women, 14th Annual Biennial Juried Exhibit
Now Showing
Patrick Moore Gallery, 2233 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 801-484-6641
2009, April - May, Tin Angel Café, Salt Lake City, Utah
2009, February - March, Baxters Café, Salt Lake City, Utah
2008, October, Contemporary Design & Art Gallery (group show), Salt Lake City, Utah
2008, September, Utah Arts Alliance Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
2008, July /- August, Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery (65th annual Cedar City juried art show), Cedar City, Utah
2006, IHC Salt Lake Health Clinic, Salt Lake City, Utah
2006, Guthrie Studios Gallery Stroll, Salt Lake City, Utah
2005, Idaho State University, Celebrating Women: Their Strength and Vision (national juried show), Idaho
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