Sonja paints portraits using Windsor Newton Oil Colors on wood panels and on canvas. She aims to paint the human psychology of each of her subjects, rather than merely reproducing an individual’s likeness.

Sonja particularly enjoys painting women, because she believes women often consider the way in which they project themselves to others, through their choices of dress, posture, etc. She is fascinated by the interplay between the identity women invent through their personal styles, and their less easily defined inner selves.

Sonja Sweterlitsch graduated with a BFA in Art and a BA in Creative Writing from Carnegie Mellon University in 1999. Sonja has taught at the Smithsonian Institute and at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. She has worked for non-profit arts organizations for the past nine years supporting artists and furthering art in her community. Currently, she coordinates the Artists Market for the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Affiliations:
Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators