Art has always been my way of understanding memory, place and emotional connection.

Every painting I create begins with a personal experience, a place that has stayed with me, or a moment that continues to resonate long after it has passed. Through colour, texture and movement, I explore how memories shape us, how places become part of our identity, and how art can preserve emotions that words often cannot.

My work is an invitation to pause, reflect and reconnect - with our memories, our heritage and the moments that define us.

I am a Scottish-Italian contemporary artist whose work is deeply influenced by family, culture and lived experience.

Italian was my first language, and I grew up balancing two very different cultures after my family settled in Scotland during the 1950s. Living between these two worlds shaped not only my identity but also the way I see and interpret the world around me.

When I was twelve years old, I visited my mother's hometown in Tuscany. It was there, surrounded by its landscapes, architecture and atmosphere, that I first discovered drawing as a natural way of expressing myself.

Shortly afterwards, I lost my mother.

Although I continued to love creativity, life took me in a different direction. I built a successful career in hairdressing, makeup artistry, education and business, working in film, television and theatre, including with Scottish Opera, before co-founding a salon and training academy with my husband.

Throughout those years, creativity never disappeared - it simply found different forms.

In 2017, I returned to painting. What began as reconnecting with something I had loved as a child soon became a profound journey of self-discovery. Painting allowed me to explore memories, family history and the emotional landscapes that had quietly shaped my life for decades.

The Collections

Although each collection is visually different, they are all connected by the same underlying themes of memory, identity and belonging.

My floral paintings are inspired by moments of love, remembrance and emotional connection, celebrating both the fragility and resilience found in nature and in our relationships.

My Tuscan urban landscapes are rooted in my mother's hometown, capturing the streets, light and architecture that first inspired me as a child. They are reflections on heritage, belonging and the enduring connection we feel to places that shape our lives.

The Time Travel collection explores memory in a more abstract way. Inspired by visits to my father's hometown in Italy, these works layer colour, texture and movement to express personal experiences while reflecting on family history, identity and the passage of time.

Between two Landscapes explores the meeting point between two places that have shaped my life, inspired by the rugged beauty of Scotland and warm and colour of Italy

Together, these collections form different chapters of the same story - one that explores how people, places and memories continue to shape who we become.

For Collectors

I believe original art should do more than complement a room.

It should create atmosphere, spark conversation and become part of the story of the people who live with it.

Whether someone is drawn to a painting because it reminds them of a place they love, a memory they treasure or simply because it evokes an emotional response they cannot quite explain, my hope is that each piece creates a lasting connection beyond its visual appearance.

Thank You...

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about my journey and my work.

I hope that as you explore the collections, you discover a painting that speaks to your own memories, experiences and sense of place.

"For my 18th Birthday I received a commissioned painting by Sonia painting from my parents. I must say that I have never received a gift able to create such emotion. The painting captures a core memory from my childhood, that I am now able to look at and be flooded with amazing memories. The detail and craftsmanship is impeccable, it is a gift I will keep with me as I progress through my life, reminding me of such a special time."

Conor Manley