Sonya Stockton, a visual artist, finds inspiration from books, thrift stores, and sometimes in the edgiest corners of emotion.  She’s showing a series of figure drawings at The Vera Project this month [Opening reception Feb. 8 @6p].  Loose and wildly expressive, her series “Instinctual” offers a peek at the unyielding energy underlying Sonya’s art.

Vera recently caught up with Sonya to learn about her days as an art student and what projects she’s focusing on lately.  Her show is on view at The Vera Project Gallery from Feb 7-Mar 7 2012.

GALLERY INTERN:  What kind of art student were you, what were you like?
SONYA:  I was always very diligent.  In high school you would always find me working in the art room.  My teacher would write me notes to get me out of other classes, and I would stay late too.  In college some friends brought a couch into our senior studios and would always joke about how it was where they sat to watch me work because I was always there.

GALLERY INTERN:  What have you been working on recently? 
SONYA:  This is a difficult question for me to answer satisfactorily because I am always working on multiple things that take me eight different directions.  They do not all come to fruition, but trial and error is a good method of discovery.  The most time consuming piece that I am working on is a seven foot tall painting of a woman sitting on a small wooden chair.  She is wearing men’s work boots, men’s underwear, and she is shirtless.  On her chest a sentence is written, it says “IGNORE THIS PAINTING”.  The painting is a part of a body of work that I am creating for a show I will be hanging in November at Gallery 110 in Pioneer Square.  In addition to painting, the show will include screen prints, sculpture, and some photography.

GALLERY INTERN:  Where do you find inspiration for your work?
SONYA:  Sometimes this is a question that I wish someone else could answer for me.  I suppose that I find a lot of inspiration at thrift stores, and in humor.  Also, I read a lot of existential philosophy and artistic theory.  Then there is always raw, unadulterated frustration.

GALLERY INTERN:  Do you have a preferred medium/why?
SONYA:  I would say no.  Every medium brings something unique to the content of the work, and content is my primary concern.  Sometimes I will even force myself to work in a certain medium because it is best for the piece.  I have learned many new things that way. Though, as people who come to the show will see, I am the most prolific in drawing and painting.  This is only because they are the most readily available methods of creative endeavors.  Convenience can be a breeding ground for inspiration.