WHO IS SOPHIA ILONA?

Hello! My name is Sophia. I’m an Artist currently living in Phoenix, Arizona. Creativity has been a lifelong love for me. Throughout the years, I’ve explored everything from Baking to Origami to Dance to Jewelry Making… In 2013 I studied Studio Photography & Photo Processing in school, and still use the skill today. My love affair with painting began in 2018 when I answered a Painter’s call for models online. I modeled for Aimee Shattuck wearing nothing but a sheer scarf and her Over-Sized White Cat named Cocaine. I had the opportunity to watch as she painted, and I felt enthralled with the way the paint glided under her brush… I just had to feel it for myself. I began experimenting, and since then almost everything I’ve learned in painting has been self-taught/discovered.

When I paint, I go into a meditative state. My thoughts slow down and play in the background, floating by, as I watch and anchor my conscious awareness to the magnificence unfolding beneath the brush. Its like the breath… sometimes I feel I am actively breathing, painting, and sometimes, I observe myself automatically breathing, painting… When I paint, nothing else matters. It’s just me and the canvas. When I paint, I feel deeper peace. My nerves are calm. My mind is quiet. I am soothed. This work is medicine for me. Spirit guides my hands.

I have shared my work in solo shows all around the Phoenix Metro area as well as in various collaborative shows. Visit my instagram @sophiailona for updates on upcoming events!