Artwork by Renee Olson Sonka
As an art teacher at Mounds Park Academy in St. Paul, Renee uses a variety of techniques and materials to teach. Her medium of choice for her own artwork is Sumi-e painting. Sumi-e is a Japanese word defined as ink painting, and the term encompasses many types of East Asian painting.
Renee’s artistry blends her college studio emphasis in calligraphy and her dedicated practice of dance. “Considering the combination of calligraphy and dance, it is perhaps no surprise that my medium of choice became Sumi-e. Sumi-e painting is like dancing in a way I have not found in any other medium. The brushstrokes are choreographed, rehearsed, and performed, leading to results balancing preparation and skill with spontaneity and freedom,” she says.
Most of Renee’s work refers to the natural world: plant life, water scenes, and birds are all common subjects in her work. Her appreciation of the artistic process includes her subjects as well as the tactile response to the materials. “It is a respite to be able to create something beautiful,” she adds.
Renee has been contributing to Art 4 Shelter since 2011. She began contributing her work to Art 4 Shelter because she wanted to teach her students the importance of giving and caring for the community. “I think it is important to teach my students that art making can be both personal and communal. I want to model that art can be an opportunity to express the self while helping others,” she says.
Renee’s work has been recognized by both Eastern and Western jurors, with highlights including a fourth-place award for watercolor at the Minnesota State Fair in 2015 and acceptance into the Sumi-e Society of America Annual Juried Exhibition in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
Renee has recently exhibited her paintings at the Austin Artworks Center in Austin, MN, and the Owatonna Arts Center in Owatonna, MN. Her artwork may be found in the member galleries of Ming Chiao mingchiaosumie.org and Sumi-e Society of America sumiesociety.org.
In addition to teaching and painting, Renee is happily busy being a mother, wife, yoga enthusiast, outdoor lover, live-music patron, and spirituality seeker.
Renee grew up in Owatonna, MN, and currently lives in White Bear Lake, MN.