Meet Sonya Palumbo | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sonya Palumbo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sonya, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
The inspiration for my work comes from so many places, sometimes in unexpected moments. A lot of times it’s from situations or activities that really get my brain going. It could be an engaging conversation or from watching a documentary. Sometimes I’ll see an image on Pinterest that I really like.

I use tarot cards as an exercise to help myself learn to create meaning and stories using pictures. When a story sparks my interest, I begin the painting process. Throughout the painting journey, the story of the piece begins to form and changes over time.

My main inspiration is travel. I don’t know what it is, but I always get the urge to paint after a trip. I’ve accepted this as a normal occurrence and have learned to make it easy for myself by taking lots of reference photos and taking notes during the trip. This way I have everything I need to start creating when I return home.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work consists of paintings with bright colors, shapes, patterns and animals. It’s the ideas, thoughts and emotions that are in my head that I express onto a canvas. To me, my work symbolizes putting my authentic self forward and bringing it out for everyone to see. As someone who struggled with severe social anxiety growing up, I spent my life being afraid to express myself. Some days, I would go an entire day without speaking. I was afraid of doing something wrong or not being accepted. Making art became my familiar, comfortable space. With art, there is no right or wrong. What you create is whatever you want it to be. My proudest moment was having the courage to consistently share my work with others. It allowed me to feel connected and less alone in the world. I hope to inspire others to connect through their self-expression and to create freely without limitations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I don’t go out much, so I can’t say I have a lot of good suggestions. When I can, I really enjoy going to the farmer’s market or visiting the botanical garden. Otherwise, Tuk Tuk Thai is one of my favorite places for Thai food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m really grateful to be surrounded by supportive people in my life. This includes family, friends and even people I just met or barely know. You can achieve a lot on your own with hardwork and perseverance but you can accomplish so much more with a little help. I know that I can rely on my community to help me feel grounded in the moments when I feel lost.

Website: www.sonyapalumbo.art

Instagram: sonyapalumbo.art