The Community Arts Council of the Alberni Valley is thrilled to continue our Featured Artist Series, shining a spotlight on one of our remarkable local artists every two weeks. These profiles appear across our social media, website, and in the newspaper, celebrating the creativity thriving in our community.
This installment highlights Sonrisa Andersen, a multifaceted artist whose practice spans stained glass, mosaic, embroidery, and linocut printing, with a primary focus on drawing and oil painting. Their work captivates viewers through expressive mark-making and their deep engagement with joy, human connection, and the figure.
Currently a full-time student pursuing their Master’s Degree in Fine Art with a focus on Drawing and Painting, Sonrisa’s practice centers on observational work, including plein air landscape painting throughout Vancouver Island and figurative studies. Their paintings carry a quiet intensity, balancing softness with a powerful sense of presence.
Drawn to immersive mediums, Sonrisa gravitates toward oil paint and charcoal for their immediacy and responsiveness. The slow drying time of oil paint allows extended engagement until resolution or exhaustion, while charcoal offers a direct, intuitive way to build depth and value. This supports a fluid, uninterrupted creative state where process and physicality intertwine, often leaving visible traces of the work.
Andersen’s connection to art began early. By the age of five, they had already decided they wanted to become an artist, covering their walls with drawings; most memorably, a series of proudly displayed, if less-than-refined, birds. As they grew older, art became something more essential. Navigating the challenges of growing up poor, awkward, and queer, creative practice offered both a sense of control and a vital means of expression.
What began as drawing evolved into painting, and over time, into a deeper commitment to storytelling. Today, their work is rooted in a desire to reflect the lives and experiences of the people around them, capturing moments of connection, identity, and shared humanity.
Their love of colour, painterly brushwork, and art history informs their approach. Influences ranging from Impressionism and Dada to Postmodernism, and particularly the concept of appropriation; can be felt throughout their work.
Another important influence has been the mentorship of Colorado artist Wendy Mike, who Andersen credits with helping them develop both confidence and clarity in their artistic voice.
Sonrisa is currently developing their thesis focused on queer expression and joy, exploring themes of identity, celebration, and authenticity through their painting practice.
When asked what advice they would give to emerging artists, Sonrisa emphasized:
“For my top piece of advice: Don’t fall in love with your art. If you think it’s perfect, you won’t be able to see why it’s not. Other important advice: Paint, draw or create everyday, or at least every week. Even if it’s bad, put pen to paper. Learn perspective. Learn colour theory. Study the rules so you can break them successfully. Give it away. Art is meant to be shared.”
Sonrisa is based in Port Alberni, BC, and they noted that they do not currently have work on public display locally, as many of their completed pieces remain in their studio. They have been intentional about how their work is shared, often gifting pieces (including those from their thesis) to friends and subjects they have painted.
Follow our social media, website, and check the newspaper every two weeks to discover the next incredible local artist in the Featured Artist Series!
