Sondra N. Arkin graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 1984.

For more about the artist, visit her webpage at www.sondranarkin.com.

Sondra Arkin describes her work in terms of layers: "much of my work is about layers. My painting stems from a belief that our lives consist of overlapping moments that we work to organize—moments of reflection, sadness, disquiet, joy, and ultimately, I hope, of harmony. These are the layers that create a rich and valuable life."

Reflecting this philosophy, Arkin builds her work one layer at a time, delicately balancing a variety of forces that might otherwise be in conflict. Her compositions are carefully structured, but they are not rigid. She often uses vibrant colors, combining them in a manner that is more meditative than jarring. Her recent works in encaustic are reminiscent of the artist’s earlier work in watercolor and oil pastel, but they are bolder and more complex. They explore the ability of texture and translucency, as well as color and composition, to express emotion and energy.

Arkin is a frequent exhibitor in the Washington, DC area. She is a founding member of the Mid City Artists, a group of artists working in Washington’s historic downtown (near 14th & U Streets) that hosts open studios two weekends a year. Arkin is also a founding organizer of Washington’s popular Artomatic, a biennial event in which more than 600 local artists exhibit their work alongside presentations of original theater, music, poetry and other performances. In 2007, she curated the permanent installation of a collection of works by Washington area artists that were purchased by the District of Columbia government for display in the John A. Wilson Building (DC’s City Hall), part of an ongoing effort by the DC government to purchase works by local artists for display in various municipal buildings. She built on that effort in 2008, choosing a number of new paintings to add to that collection.

Arkin lives and works in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.