“I paint portraits to celebrate the beauty that I see in people.” — Sonja Sweterlitsch
Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Sonja Sweterlitsch graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Art and a BA in Creative Writing. She has taught studio art classes at the Smithsonian Institute, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Trust Arts Education Center. She has curated dozens of exhibitions and coordinated large-scale art events in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA.
Sonja paints with Winsor & Newton oil colors on canvas. First she creates an underpainting using burnt umber, raw sienna and white. Finally she lays in the color, starting with darker tones and building up toward the lights, adding more detail with every layer until the figure is complete. Her subjects center on portraits of women — friends and individuals who have touched her life through their work.
Sonja has been featured on CBS Pittsburgh / KDKA, Classical WQED FM, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Tribune-Review, City Paper, Les Femmes Folles, and Women Painting Women. She is a member of the Portrait Society of America.
Link to gallery views: Flickr
For a list of available works, email sonjasweterlitsch@gmail.com