Jennifer Sonne of Midnight Sonne is the artist behind this year’s poster for Anchorage Folk Festival — a free celebration highlighting the city’s folk music scene.
She says the project pushed her creatively and forced her to “work backwards.”
“Typically I see something compelling and I make art from it,” she said. “For the poster, I had to envision the elements and piece them together. I knew I wanted to use cool tones and stay away from summer elements because the festival is in January.”
“I have been drawn to Aphonse Mucha’s Art Nouveau-style illustrations and decided to adapt one to be Alaska-themed,” Sonne continued. “I also decided to work digitally rather than my usual oil painting, that way the image could be easily adapted to be a stage backdrop, poster or merchandise like coffee mugs.”
Most of Sonne’s inspiration for Midnight Sonne comes from her adventures around the state. She loves to recreate landscapes she sees on canvas.
“There’s a certain poignancy to remembering something visually from the way the wind felt that day or the chill from the splash of the waves or the sound of a whale breathing,” Sonne said. “I love the sensory nature of Alaska.”
Sonne has been creating visual art for as long as they can remember. After living in Alaska for a few years, she decided to take an art class at Blaine’s Art Supply from Honor Hall, who was an-adjunct professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage at the time.
“Because I was self-taught until that point, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know,” Sonne said. “That prompted me to apply to the bachelor of fine arts program at UAA. I took around 30 hours of courses at UAA from some of Anchorage’s most talented artists. They really helped develop my craftsmanship and eye for color and design.”
In addition to their planes and landscapes, Sonne also does graphic design for local campaigns and digital artwork for stickers and other printed items. She designed a sticker featuring Grubby the opossum with the slogan “Lost / Found.” She donates $1 to the Alaska Zoo for every sticker sold.
“Alaska has a wonderfully supportive network of people and local businesses that care about and promote local art … The wonderful thing about creative work is that you can create your own niche and demand,” Sonne said. “We love seeing each other succeed and rise to the next artistic opportunity.”
Sam Davenport is a writer residing in Anchorage. She's a leo and a plant-person, and loves spending quality time with her dog, Aspen. She is a Real Housewives fan and has been called a Bravo historian.