Sonia Finch Art Studio

‘Turtle medicine teaches us to be more grounded, to slow down and to pace ourselves. To walk the path of serenity focused on longer lasting goals, so that obstacles and distractions fall away.’

‘Octopus are flexible, astute and efficient in accomplishing their goals, and teach us that sometimes it is better to blend in with the crowd and camouflage our true intentions until the very last moment.’

‘Seahorse teaches us to ground and centre ourselves to find inner peace in stormy emotional waters and see all sides of a situation - even those that are concealed.’

‘Seahorse teaches us to ground and centre ourselves to find inner peace in stormy emotional waters and see all sides of a situation - even those that are concealed.’

"The cat's playing with the Christmas Tree decorations again..!" Cats probably have more fun playing with Christmas trees than young children - climbing up the branches, playing with the baubles.. They can be soooo naughty! That is why I decided to base my second Christmas painting on this topic. What if they were not just playing with the baubles, but playing tag with the house fairies and elves? What fun that would be! Created from an oil painting 'Fairy Tag at Christmas' by Sonia Finch. © 2020 Sonia Finch

A baby fairy snuggles up to a beloved cat by the fireside and they dream of their adventures together..

'Moth Rider' from the moth race featured in 'The Fairy Tree' is developed further with a more detailed study of the Venezuelan Poodle Moth.

Mermaids play with a humpback whale, whilst dolphins, sting rays and coral reef aquatic fish go about their daily life. Beyond the reef near the ruins of Atlantis is a stargate. As you fall asleep you may ask 'where will the Atlantis star gate take me in my dreams? The painting reminds us that we are the guardians of our beautiful water world, rich with mythology and legend that is forever expanding with our imaginations.

Noah receives a leaf from a dove with joy. The waters have receeded and the animals and Noah's family are safe. The many delighted animals, birds and reptiles start to make their way out of the ark. Mrs Noah patiently waits with the animals below holding her cats in her arms. There are girafes, crocodiles, tigers, hippos, snakes, owls, monkeys, lions, sheep.. so many animals to see... How many could there be?

I guess the biggest challenge I had was having such a large (AO) canvas, and having to paint so much detail within it with a fine paintbrush. I was creating a world. I kept finding holes and burrows and places where life dwells and could have gone on and on... I imagined how a child would feel falling asleep in their bedroom hating the dark, but finding themselves lost in this world as they fell soundly asleep.. I imagined how the tree would continue to glow in the dark so that all the fairies could see it from miles around. Finally, my pot of fairy dust arrived and after much experimentation, the little world began to glow in the dark... Isn't it wonderful to see the world through a child's eyes!

A magical painting of a bluebell fairy wood - the first of three spring fairy paintings. It is May and the bluebells create a carpet of beautiful blues and purples across the woodland. A badger set play amongst the bluebells and flower fairies work with the butterflies to help the plants and trees in the woodland thrive and grow. The fairies watch on from their treetop home as the sunshine streams through the trees.

When you are a child, the world around you is so enchanting and full of wonder. I recall picking dandelion clocks and blowing the seeds into the air and my grandparents sharing with me that fairies tell the time by how many blows it takes to remove all the seeds. Therefore, the second Spring fairy painting of the series is called 'Spring Timekeeper Fairy'. The ladybirds going about their work represent protection, healing, good fortune, and grace in Native American spirituality as it is a very spiritual animal that often protects plants and flowers from pests and other bugs to help them thrive.

A fairy dashes across a wood blanketed with anemonie flowers riding a hare in the moonlight on a full moon. The painting was inspired by the beautiful woodland close to my home in East Sussex where bluebells grow in abundance. I decided to work on a small series of oil paintings exploring the elemental and natural world in the spring. Other paintings in the Spring Elemental Collection include 'Spring Timekeeper Fairy' and 'Spring Bluebell Fairies'. There is also an Autumn Elemental Collection too.

One of the most wonderful places to go to for peace and quiet, clean air and miles of space around you is Ashdown Forest. Here is a painting I created to capture the stormy autumnal weather and icy mud tracks.

It's Christmas time again, and it wouldn't be complete without a good ol' fashioned pantomime for laughs! And there are few more evil baddies to boo than the evil queen in Snow White. This one is particularly furious because the local pantomime dame is way fairer than she is! I hope this painting brings back the nostalgia of childhood pantomimes! The sounds of cheering 'It's behind you!', 'Oh no it isn't!' and raucous slap stick comedy.

Haysden Farm is just outside of Tonbridge in Kent, near the lakes. Beautiful poppies around the pathway draw you in as you pass by.

Tonbridge is a very special place for me as it is my home town. As children, my sisters and I would run up and down the pathway to the top of the lookout mound where there is a wishing well. My father would tell me that the dip was a sleeping dragon and we would tip toe around it so not to wake it. We had many idyllic picnics whilst rowing a boat on the River Medway with our grandparents. I chose this perspective because it encompasses so many things about Tonbridge - the 'one ton bridge', the river, the castle and the town clock. 

Hastings old town on the Kentish coastline, has a gorgeous little fishing marina where you can watch the fishing boats being towed in and out of the sea with hoards of seagulls flocking overhead, hoping for a morsel or two to get thrown in their direction. Everywhere there are lobster pots and fishing nets, bits of old machinery and equipment lying around. It's a great place to hang out to sit and watch the fishermen at work with the tide laying up on the shingle shore.

'Bee urges you to 'Step up your game and put all your efforts into your dreams, working tirelessly with determination and without distraction to bring them into the world.' Created from an oil painting on canvas by Sonia Finch.

‘Rabbits instinctively recognises the signs of danger and success at lightening speed. Rabbit encourages us replace fear with careful planning to respond efficiently to life’s situations without wasting energy in worry. Then invites us to play and savour the creativity and abundance of mother earth.’

Intoxicating summer days.. I had some of the most wonderful days out exploring the Kentish Vineyards in the spring, and met some gorgeous alpacas whilst soaking up the beautiful scenery. We are so lucky in England to have some genius wine growers, who not only produce sumptuous wine fit for a queen, but imprint contrasting textures, colours and patterns in perfect harmony through their art on the countryside. So I am exploring the Kent and Sussex countryside to find these gorgeous scenes that make painting such a joy. I hope you enjoy my painting.

When we get our teeth into a new project, beaver motivates us to build from the ground up and work as a team to share ideas and resources. With determination, co-operation and productivity, those dreams won't be blocked by a dam.

Lavendin or Lavender..? I started my lavender farm journey back in June, when I discovered that English lavender was being grown locally. I then had to wait patiently in anticipation for the lavender to bloom and it seemed an eternity. Isn't it crazy that we have such amazing English cultural traditions all around us, but with the demands of our lives these magical places remain unknown..? To explore, learn and absorb the beautiful landscapes, aromas and textures of the British Isles is probably one of the most exciting opportunities I have known as an artist.

'When dolphin leaps into your life, take a deep breath and joyfully nurture your inner child through play and fun. Dolphin reminds us to protect the vulnerable within our community and to show compassion. Dolphin teaches us to ride the waves of our emotions with courage, confidence and strength when the waters gets rough.'

'Pigeon teaches us how to find our way home when we are lost and carry messages between the realms in answer to your prayers. Pigeon invites us to nurture our community and home so that we have a great foundation from which to expand our horizons and fellowship as we travel through life.'

Beautiful products created from the oil painting 'Spirit of Buzzard' by Sonia Finch. The print shows a buzzard perched on a rock by heather. The countryside shown is Ashdown Forest in Sussex. 'Spirit of Buzzard' is from the 'Nature Spirits of the Magical Isles Collection'. ‘When Buzzard swoops into your life, you know that it is time for change and transformation. Buzzard teaches us that we have the strength, power and courage within us to create positive change and a fresh start if we embrace letting go of what no longer serves us.’

'Pheasant signifies a time to be flamboyant, creative and to roam free, urging you to pursue variety in life.'

Early 2019 when I was researching vineyards in the South East of England, I came across an organic wine-maker in East Sussex. As you may know, I have made it my mission the last few years to paint the national trusts too... So you can imagine my delight to find that my two favourite topics for landscapes at this time could be found within one painting. I had thought to capture the vineyard at dawn, but when I started doing my sketches, I felt only a magnificent sunset would truly do this topic justice and give the advantage of working with extraordinary reflections and dramatic skies. The site retains an almost fifth dimensional theme with it's sumptuous colours and textures. Thank you so much to the Balmer family for being so kind...

‘When frog leaps into your life, it is time to transform and cleanse the soul by releasing emotional baggage and negativity, then detoxing to bring renewed health.’

‘Dog medicine teaches us friendship through unconditional love, loyalty, devotion and service. Dogs value family and will bravely protect their pack by warning when trouble is near. Dogs signify that you are on the right path and surrounded by friends.’

‘Wildcat teaches us to be independent and free. To discover our own inner strength 
through solace, observation and intuition when navigating the journey. 
Wildcat encourages us to be resilient and courageous and 
to appreciate the finer things of life in abundance.’

‘Heron teaches us that strength can be found in unconventional solutions. Heron encourages us to be more self-reliant and to follow our own path rather than that of others. With patience, focus and autonomy, we can leave stress behind 
and achieve more balance and calm in our lives.’

‘A visit from a blue tit brings the blessings of hope, a beautiful future and fidelity within a loving partnership. Blue Tits mate for life and are a symbol of loyalty and luck. The sunflower represent long life, loyalty, happiness and strength.’

I love sheep. Our allotment backs onto a meadow full of them, munching and mooing away throughout the day without a care in the world. With all the drama and noise at this time, it's hard for humanity to see the wood for the trees and work out the best path to take. Sheep seem primarily concerned with sharing and have a deep connection with Mother Earth. 'Sheep encourages us to reconnect with our inner child-like innocence and vulnerability and to accept and love ourselves just as we are.’

When Seal swims into your life, you know it's time for high energy, fun and playfulness. And humour is so good for the soul! Seal has amazing hearing ability underwater, reminding us that we can learn so much when we listen intently to those around us. Seal's whiskers assist us with detecting vibes whilst lending an extra thick skin to protect. Don't resist seal's invitation for adventure. Go with the flow!

I love cows. Our allotment backs onto a meadow full of them, munching and mooing away throughout the day without a care in the world. With all the drama and noise at this time, it's hard for humanity to see the wood for the trees and work out the best path to take. Cows seem primarily concerned with sharing and have a deep connection with Mother Earth. They take care of each other within the herd without any expectation of receiving back. They seem to be in perfect balance and we can learn a lot from them. So I felt called to paint this remarkable being, who has contributed and sacrificed so much for humanity's survival and is so taken for granted. 'Cow medicine teaches us the joy of sharing our abundance with others and giving w...