Artist Profile: Sonja Forster

Wildlife and animal enthusiasts, listen up! Artist Sonja Forster is right around the corner, ready to capture the heart and soul of whatever pet or wildlife you'd like on canvas. Originally from South Africa, Sonja has lived in Tanzania, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom. Her husband's job has now brought her to the Gainesville area, where she and her family reside at Vint Hill Farms. Each place she has lived, Sonja has used her environment as a both a learning experience and as inspiration for her art. With steady practice, experimentation, and study, Sonja has developed her artistic skills. Some of her recent pieces feature deer and foxes, native to the area. 

"Devastation and Survival"

Sonja's background in wildlife conservation inspires her to create evocative paintings that stir emotion within the onlooker. She prefers to paint with oil over acrylic, praising its rich, "luxurious" color and texture. Sonja devotes a lot of time on each painting until she thinks the subject matter's expression and emotion has been captured accurately; oil paint allows for more blending time since it does not dry quickly.

Sonja helps novice painters capture their pets on canvas at Muse Paintbar's bi-monthly event, Paint Your Pet. Sonja's keen eye for detail and expression helps her consistently elevate paintings to the next level. She also paints pet portraits by commission, if you would rather leave the painting exclusively to her. You can find more information on Sonja's website: SonjaForsterart.com

Thanks for reading! If you have another local artist you think I should feature, let me know!

XOXO,

Maria