About the Work

In her work, Sonya McAlister intuitively responds to specific places in nature.

Creating primitive drawing tools, impressions, and reflections from nature, the artist approaches her work experimentally.*  She utilizes natural elements such as light, shadow, organic material, found objects, and time to create works about her inter-dependence and connection to certain landscapes.

Her process allows for an exchange between the unpredictability of natural materials used for mark making and a conscious manipulation of the marks. She is interested in how process informs the final outcome of an image, as well as, ways the final image surpasses the process used to create it.

The drawings, prints and paintings represent the markings of an exchange between the artist and her natural surroundings. The work is about her deep connection and dependence on the earth.  McAlister  views the work as a dialogue between the earth and herself. She often returns to locations observing and responding to subtle changes in the landscape over time. 

The fragility and temporality of nature is a part of the artists perception when spending time in a landscape. Her visual response to a natural space reflects the experience of all her senses. The images created are as much about movement, time, and the physical sensation of weather as they are about the visual presence of the landscape. 

Contact the Artist at: sonyaart@outlook.com

*The landscape is not disrupted in the creation of her work, when appropriate materials are returned back to the place they were found.