SONJA FRASER

(JEWELRY)

TRUNK SHOW AND DEMONSTRATION DATES

Artist Statement

          My jewelry is a reflection of my love of travel, collecting and nature.  I am inspired by the colors in nature,  the places that I visit and the history in the objects that I collect.  The rustic-ness of nature, stones and shells on beaches and vintage jewelry are my current favorite sources of inspiration for my pieces.   When I visit a place that I love such as New Mexico, Vermont or Upper Captiva Island, I always come home and create a piece of jewelry that becomes like my photograph of that place.  Creating the jewelry helps to preserve my memories of my most favorite trips.

Biography

         Sonja Fraser was born in Miami, Florida and began her love of art and design at a very early age.  As far back at grade school she enjoyed painting, drawing and sculpting with clay.  In high school, she dabbled in photography.  She studied art and theatre at the University of South Florida and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. During her time at the university, she was involved in the production of many plays as a make up artist, costume designer and scenic artist.  She began making jewelry after a visit to New England in the year 2000.  Having grown up in sub tropical Miami, Sonja was awe-struck at the sight of autumn in Vermont.  The colors inspired her first pieces of jewelry which were primarily bracelets.  Almost instantaneously, jewelry making became a passion.  Her love of collecting vintage jewelry branched out into a treasure hunt for vintage and antique beads, stones and findings.  After being introduced to silver clay at a friend's bead shop, Sonja began creating clasps and findings with the material.  She creates her pieces in her home studio in Wesley Chapel, Florida. Sonja is an elementary school art teacher at Veterans Elementary School and thoroughly enjoys bringing art into her student's lives.  As both an artist and a mother to 9 year old Savannah and 5 year old Gantt, Sonja values the concept of teaching visually and creatively to her students and her own children.