ArtbySonja
Sonja Northover

Emerging artist of African landscapes and urbanscapes

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npub14xkch38zmewkk7kxecmsp7q99ptdlqr0kmerytuf5rfka2t4qcdqcaag48

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nprofile1qqs2ntvtcn3duhtt0trvudcqlqzjs4klsphmdu3j97y6p5mw496svxsprdmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuur0vd4k2arwdaehgu3wvdhk6qg5waehxw309aex2mrp0yhxgctdw4eju6t0z6wjru

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relay.pocketnostr.com

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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npub14xkch38zmewkk7kxecmsp7q99ptdlqr0kmerytuf5rfka2t4qcdqcaag48

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Last Notes

2026-08-09 15:23:57 CEST

A quick watercolour study of Nicholas at home. I couldn't resist capturing the relaxed posture—and those striped socks.
#art #plebchain #grownostr #watercolor https://blossom.primal.net/bbad18d31a1ab82e1ae6a7204414d2f487ce32bb135c641ba9f27f2bc41ec6e4.jpg

2026-08-05 14:41:45 CEST

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It's the simple things... 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊

2026-08-05 14:30:57 CEST

In the middle of nowhere, Karoo, South Africa
An isolated homestead holding onto its secrets, surrounded by ancient mountains and dry scrub in the vastness of the Karoo.
Mostly colored pencil.
40 x 60 cms
#art #nostrart #coloredpencil #landscape https://blossom.primal.net/26848feda636d7c51c8338108a36dd708b56cd6233884a0c027dd2a6ed2e2c7e.jpg

2026-07-30 15:33:55 CEST

Dappled Shadow at Ferney, Mauritius
Looking back at a slightly older oil painting from Ferney Falaise Rouge, looking over Grand Port Bay.
Dappled light is slippery to catch—it shifts every few minutes. Oils allowed me to build the weight of the dark, interlaced canopy first, and then lay down those vivid hits of sunlit ground right against the shadows.
Looking at older pieces like this alongside my recent watercolours is a gentle reminder of how our process quietly evolves over time.
Dappled Shadow at Ferney | Oil on canvas | 30 x 40 cm Ferney Falaise Rouge, Mauritius
https://blossom.primal.net/8c11536dcd05ee5151b7ce0d1cdc6b8f16a1b7f5047cbcefb3d43d300cc48b10.jpg
https://blossom.primal.net/b76fd511baf38d981cfa05e7fc9693668555812cda4acc9e5660dc0635e26220.jpg
Read the full studio note on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/sonjanorthover/p/dappled-shadow-at-ferney-mauritius?r=naywu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
#art #nostrart #oilpainting #painting #mauritius #artstr #creators

2026-07-30 15:21:22 CEST

What the Mind Keeps
A friend took the photo that this painting grew from at Île d'Ambre in Mauritius. The camera caught a single moment, but what stayed with me was the feeling of being there—the calm sea, slow clouds, and light resting on the volcanic rocks.
I didn't paint it straight away. If I paint too soon, I copy what I see. If I wait, I paint what I remember noticing.
Watercolour refuses to be hurried. The foreground rocks became a quiet lesson in restraint—knowing when to put the brush down and walk away.
Watercolour on paper: 35 x 45 cm: Île d'Ambre, Mauritius
I’m still experimenting with balancing dark granulating washes against transparent ones. How do you handle restraint in your own process?
https://blossom.primal.net/8615714685dc4f81e703afb523d2223258e54d9ed7b835c8156891e0b65d2f6a.png
#art #nostrart #watercolour #painting #mauritius #artstr #creators
Read the full studio note on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/sonjanorthover/p/what-the-mind-keeps?r=naywu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

2026-07-26 18:19:12 CEST

It has been a minute since I've posted here https://blossom.primal.net/865593a0d5f1d38e50b9dd601b241021652996d136aa34c1da3e91d21b2486ee.png . Life intervened, but I am more settled now and I would like to continue to share my art journey with everyone on this wonderful platform. So, here is one of my latest watercolour paintings...
The Lily Pool: Pampelmousses Botanical Gardens
I was drawn to the quietness of this scene and the way the lilies seemed to float in the shimmering light.
Watercolour on paper.
50 X 72 cms
#artstr #artonnostr #nostr #Mauritius #watercolor https://blossom.primal.net/9bb17f9926c8e09727b6cea0e2f626f991c22ad7d6c5477012ee401c1eaa995a.png

2026-03-15 17:49:01 CET

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Fantastic! Thank you!

2026-03-05 14:06:01 CET

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Thanks!

2026-03-05 13:17:07 CET

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I think that’s a fair observation. For a long time the institutional art world did elevate concept over craft, especially after figures like Duchamp and Warhol pushed the idea that intention could be enough. So, it does feel a bit convenient to suddenly hear strong defences of craft right at the moment when AI can execute a conceptual gesture just as easily. If craft had been consistently defended in the past, the current argument would sound less reactive. That said, maybe the uncomfortable truth is that art has always swung between these poles. One era pushes against academic skill, another rediscovers the value of the hand. AI may just be forcing that contradiction into the open in a way the art world can’t ignore anymore.

2026-03-05 08:30:47 CET

Back with a closer look at this one. It's ink and getting the clouds to stay crisp and opaque was the real challenge. See the WIP stage where it all started coming together!
#artonnostr #art #inkpainting #WIP https://blossom.primal.net/d3f963f62dcaa048a3eaa820ea74719e36d0e15996b023c7353f9eab69248d95.jpg https://blossom.primal.net/549449461bef2ca691ab252d242ddbaa791933a83b618c762a6c49eab3dfef87.jpg

2026-03-05 05:25:56 CET

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Beautiful!

2026-03-04 15:04:32 CET

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No, not oil sticks, but soft pastels and pencil crayons. 😊

2026-03-04 14:45:21 CET

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I get the point. If intention alone made the ready-made art in the era of Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol, then it's hard to suddenly argue that prompting an AI isn't also a conceptual act. That said, Duchamp and Warhol weren't removing craft from culture entirely. They were reacting against academic painting and questioning authorship. The irony is that now we're in a moment where people are reasserting the value of skill and embodied practice again. Maybe the tension isn't hypocrisy so much as the art world constantly swinging between concept and craft?

2026-03-04 14:24:52 CET

I've explored stronger structural landscapes. Does this direction resonate?
#artstr #artonnostr #nostr #ink #mauritius https://blossom.primal.net/c37520bdc31f872c83212b62e6f62c070aeb5837ed6321b2561bf24620965e94.jpg

2026-02-12 14:21:52 CET

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Hi there! Thank you! It’s actually pastel and pencil crayon… I was experimenting with the combo. 😊It’s 60 x 40 cms… I find oils the most comfortable medium… maybe because it’s more forgiving than pencil crayons 😂

2026-02-12 14:15:33 CET

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Thank you!

2026-02-12 12:10:29 CET

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Beautiful!

2026-02-11 18:15:31 CET

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That last part really hit me—the idea of recognising yourself in someone else's work. It’s comforting to know that even the 'fragile' or 'non-linear' parts of life can be turned into something tangible and meaningful. Thank you for sharing this perspective!

2026-02-11 17:24:49 CET

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Love electric lines in the sky! 👏

2026-02-11 15:30:59 CET

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Here is the WIP!
#WIP https://blossom.primal.net/79a2a83a0cf4d06b0f3772ea5b5eaf6045c91456791502a8d5050e279addc43d.jpg

2026-02-11 15:28:59 CET

A while ago, I finished this study of Coin de Mire in the distance. I used this piece to experiment with combining pencil crayons and soft pastels, which was challenging but fun. Capturing the specific texture and depth of the black volcanic rocks in the foreground definitely pushed me! WIP sketch in the reply.
#artstr #artonnostr #creative #ProofOfWork #WIP
https://blossom.primal.net/8b770482f9b9328f1a71a401082ae50854137679467effdd76c2506cb98931ec.jpg

2026-02-11 11:33:58 CET

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I like this…digital tribalism in motion! 🙌

2026-02-09 15:35:16 CET

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Wonderful pic! Thank you 😊

2026-02-09 14:43:00 CET

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THANK YOU!

2026-02-08 11:23:40 CET

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Thanks so much! Lots of useful info here…

2026-02-06 15:09:56 CET

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Love the drama of these landscapes.Thanks for the inspiration!

2026-02-06 14:58:17 CET

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Love the use of light and colour!
#nevent1q…5mls

2026-02-06 14:44:36 CET

Cap Malheureaux watercolour sketch
My second post here – today a plein air watercolour sketch of stillness. I’ve always found water the most difficult thing to capture! But here, under the grey, it finally felt like it stopped moving … Where does it feel like time settles for you?
#artstr #newnostr #artonnostr #asknostr https://blossom.primal.net/cd4c0156769500527ccd66fdcfbaf3cb34e32d68bde502b2233146ca3985d9d7.jpg

2026-02-05 14:06:33 CET

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I love the garden analogy… I’m learning the ropes but it’s a huge relief to focus on building a presence rather than chasing follower counts. Thanks for the feedback … I’ll definitely take your advice to show more behind-the-scenes work. I like your style very much btw… it’s intentional and resonates with me! I look forward to seeing more of it and to following your progress!

2026-02-05 12:44:23 CET

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Love the mood and atmosphere of your paintings…

2026-02-05 10:42:47 CET

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Re-sharing my intro with the right tags! I’m an artist who works in oils, sometimes exploring ink and watercolour. I am drawn to African landscapes and urbanscapes, and the quiet moments where time seems to settle – sunlight on surfaces, shadows through trees, or the stillness in between. My aim is to let each painting quietly invite reflection and connection.
My first painting is of a little run-down shop in Triolet, a town in Mauritius. I was fascinated by the cheerfulness of the scene which seemed to sing with vibrancy despite the decaying façade!
As a new Nostrich, I am also curious: What are the best ways for artists to thrive here? Are there specific tools I should be using to share my work?
Looking forward to your advice!
#introductions #artstr #artonnostr #nostr #asknostr
#nevent1q…ue6n

2026-02-02 10:00:39 CET

An emerging Nostrich willing to learn all I can with this beautiful platform. Looking forward to sharing my art and art journey with you all! https://blossom.primal.net/2812d541ca8cfa14642d652ceb8e30c66b7c643557069bff0b6c62d39972a2d3.jpg