ABOUT SONJA

NATURE IN SONJA'S WORK

For plein-air artist Sonja Brussen, nature is the greatest source of inspiration. She goes out to capture the moment, the speed of light, the changing clouds. It is a constant hunt and a daily quest to capture light, air and space. Nature, which has fascinated her since she was young, is captured with a minimum of human influences.

Her powerful works, which combine impressionism and expressionism, are painted alla prima (wet-on-wet) by Sonja Brussen. Her technique and use of colour are strong and very personal. In the field, she is influenced by what is going on in nature: sun, cold, wind, rain. All these influences contribute to the creation and atmosphere of her work. For her, this also includes the sound of nature: the birds, the wind, a splash in the water and the rustling in the bushes. This experience of nature is so intense that when you look at her works, you immediately experience that you are standing in the middle of that piece of nature. You are not only looking at an image of nature, but you are, as it were, part of it.

Educated by passionate teachers and completed with the upgrade at ArteZ (University of the Arts), she knows how to constantly renew herself. Since 1998 she has been working as a professional visual artist from Lochem and now also from Torhamn (Sweden).

Since 2016 she has been a member of the Dutch Association of Sea Painters. In 2020 Sonja also joined the Katwijkerkring. This is a circle of professional plein air painters who have painted during Katwijk and Plein Air in recent years.

Harry J.Kraaij, art historian

Her paintings have been purchased and included in collections by collectors/companies in:
The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Thailand, Ireland, England, USA, Singapore, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Scotland, Sweden, Australia.