Sonia Weidenfelder

born 1982, McLoud, Oklahoma

Though Sonia doesn’t characterize herself as a visual artist, her work is being displayed and purchased frequently enough that she’s starting to reconsider that stance.  She claims studying music, crocheting, teaching at a daycare center and learning from her child are the most useful set of skills and experiences she has applied to her art making. Sonia’s work is motivated by what she sees as the inherent beauty found whenever math, music and color come together. Pen and ink with watercolor and mixed media are her favorite mediums.  

Music is very important to Sonia’s creative process and she incorporates it in the following way: First she selects a phrase or snippet from a song. Then she pictures the song in her mind to see what shapes and colors reveal themselves. Next, with pen and ink, she sketches the lines, notes, clefs, and other musical notations. And finally, she adds watercolor and coffee for the most prominent sound waves, notes or chords.  Recently, she has been sewing on the images. For her mixed-media pieces, rather than using music as a source of inspiration, Sonia may instead conjure up a message, story, or symbol of personal significance.  

Sonia made a living as a medical transcriptionist and receptionist prior to incarceration.

A special thanks to Poetic Justice Tulsa for advocating for Oklahoma’s incarcerated women and promoting their artwork.