Growing up in West Virginia, Sonda started her journey with art as a two year-old night owl, drawing her “peoples” around her nightlight while everyone else was asleep. Her childhood connection to art fed her ever growing imagination that led her to a lifelong dedication to the healing powers of art. Her 30+ years as an educator has been instrumental in curating her deep insight into compassionate communication and the powerful need for relationships across all ages, genders, and cultures.

Sonda received her BFA in Painting from West Virginia University and her MA in Art with a concentration in Art Education. After graduating with her BFA, she pursued studies in Lucca Italy through Indiana University of Pennsylvania under the direction of John Delmonte. Part of her education at this time was a self guided trek around Europe, jumping on trains and go in city to city, visiting museums, and galleries wherever she went. She later went on to pursue studies in ceramics as a non-degree graduate student at the University of California Irvine.

While attending her first National Art Education Association in Chicago, Sonda was inspired by the many city murals made in collaboration with youth artists. She has received rewards from WVAEA for Art Educator of the Year and Elementary Art Educator of the Year. Since that time, Sonda has worked on public murals around West Virginia and beyond, including several Singing Trees.

In 2012 she was chosen as Fulbright first alternate to create a Singing Tree Mural in South Korea. She has co-created a mural in Fiji and with international artist, Isaiah Zagar, that included 75 + children, ranging in age from kindergarten through high school, along with community members, local art teachers and artists.

For Sonda, creating art with children is always about relationships - with the children, with the community and with the Earth. The process, the communication and the development of confidence and leadership in children is the purpose behind every creation that Sonda leads. Sonda is a NBCT - National Board Certified Teacher.