Meet the Director: 100 Shades of Green with Yvonne Sonsino
- Gemma Gittins
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
As one of Ardington’s Directors, you might recognise Yvonne Sonsino, but did you know that she is an avid student, passionate artist, maker, and teacher in her own right?
Since retiring from her career in the city, Yvonne is all about finding balance. When she isn’t teaching yoga locally, or Chinese brush painting and silver clay jewellery here at Ardington, she is keeping her mind and body busy at the pottery wheel or planting in the garden.
We wandered down her gorgeous garden path to talk about her love for throwing pots, grinding ink, and a dog named Wilf.
Post-Impressionism and the Perfect Ink
Yvonne’s choice of artistic inspiration reflects her appreciation for structure, colour, and form; if she could peek through any sketchbook in history, she’d head straight for the pioneering Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne.
Yet, when it comes to her own creative toolkit, her heart belongs elsewhere entirely. If forced to choose only three materials for the rest of her life, she bypasses the clay and the silver to choose "A Chinese paintbrush (one big and one fine) and sumi ink."
It’s no surprise that her absolute favourite sensory experience in the studio is the calming, ancient ritual of "grinding sumi ink" before she begins to paint!
A Super-Tidy Sanctuary
While some artists thrive in creative chaos, Yvonne likes to keep a ship shape space. "My studio is super tidy," she tells us. "I’m wonderfully lucky to have plenty of space to store stuff, and a dedicated pottery."
Though these spaces might be immaculate, they are far from empty – Yvonne is surrounded by shelves groaning with pots downstairs and bursting with art supplies upstairs!
Along with husband Simon, fellow Ardington Director, she also shares her studio with a very special, four-legged friend who likes to stay close to the action. "My lovely dog, Wilf, loves to sleep right under where you are working," she says.
Living with the Inner Critic
I always ask our tutors how they quieten that pesky inner critic when faced with a fresh sheet of paper. While many share tips on breathing or stepping away, Yvonne’s answer is refreshingly honest.
When asked if she gets nervous of the blank page, she admits, "Often."
And how does she quieten the critic? "I don't..."
It’s a powerful perspective for us all to hear - even an Art School Director, with years of teaching experience, hasn't found a way to silence those doubts. What is important is that she carries on creating alongside them anyway!
Yvonne also believes that being open to learning is key. There is barely a month that goes by where she isn’t participating in a class or course of some kind. Whether that be Teddy Bear making, Windsor chair carving, new pottery techniques, wood fired kiln building… the list is endless.
A Lifelong Love of the Outdoors
When Yvonne isn’t managing things behind the scenes at Ardington or focused on her own projects, her life is filled with grounding, peaceful practices like yoga, cooking, and spending time in nature. "I love the outdoors," she says, which explains why she couldn't possibly pick a favourite season: "I love them all!"
Her deep connection to nature is perfectly summed up by her favourite colour: green. "I’ve mixed every version via every combination of blues and yellows in my paint box," Yvonne reveals, "and I now have colour cards for about 100 different greens!"
As for what’s left for her to explore? Still eager to learn, she fancies willow work next and has just booked herself into a workshop. Watch this space!
The Quick-Fire Round: A Glimpse into Yvonne’s World
Favourite Museum: The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford (another vote for this cabinet-of-curiosities favourite!)
Favourite Book: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Favourite Snack: Nuts
Favourite Time to Create: Any time, but most likely the evenings
Favourite View: Anywhere outdoors
Go-To Art Shop: The internet!
Any Final Words of Wisdom?
"You don't have to silence your inner critic to make beautiful things."
A huge thank you to Yvonne for stepping away from the garden to chat with us this Summer. Although she doesn't have any workshops available just at the moment, Yvonne is often a student in our onsite classes; please do come along and say hi!
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