70 Frederick January 2006

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MARYLAND MADE

BY JENNIFER MELLACEPHOTOGRAPHY BY TIMOTHY JACOBSEN

Lovely Landscapes

urope, Asia, Africa, Central America, and Frederick are just some of themany places Sonia Maher uses as inspiration for her stunning watercolors.Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Maher first traveled to the United States

in 1963 to do post-graduate work in hotel management and tourism marketing.Maher and her husband, Jim, later moved to Frederick in 1976, where sheapplied for the director of tourism position for Frederick County.

Maher was told she’d be given six months salary and whatever happened afterthat depended on her. Ten years later, she had built a tourism program thatbecame a model for the rest of the state.

In 1986, Maher started a private consulting practice, working with inter-national agencies that assist countries in using tourism as a means of economicdevelopment. Over the next several years, her work took her to places like Nepal, Monaco, Ethiopia, and the Caribbean, where she’d stay for six to eightweeks at a time.

“It was very intense,” says Maher. “I would work with the local populationtraining them, evaluating programs, and identifying sites for tourism programs. It was a wonderful challenge to try and see what each wanted and needed.”

During this time, Maher came to realize the photos she had been taking of hertravels weren’t doing these places justice. Having been so involved in her career,she couldn’t find time for hobbies, but, in 1989 and in her mid-40s, Maherdecided to cultivate the passion she always had for painting.

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Local watercolorist finds inspirationaround the world and at home

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MARYLAND MADE

She began by taking courses atFrederick Community College. Localartist Andrea Bruchett was her firstinstructor. “She was wonderful, sopatient,” says Maher. “Halfway throughthe course, I was called out on assign-ment. Andrea encouraged me to keeppainting and learn by trial and error. Ifell in love with the watercolor mediumand was hooked. I painted everyday.”

After several courses and workshopshere and in countries such as France,Greece, and Mexico, Maher learned topaint landscapes with all their differentcolors. These compositions became thebest way to document her trips.

Today, Maher carries a sketchbookeverywhere she travels. An instructoronce told her to always sketch in pen,not pencil. If you sketch in pencil, you’llwant to correct things. Pen gives more

life. Learning to trust her eye, Maherhas adopted this method and sketchesstrictly in pen without any inhibitions.

Working off these sketches, whichcontain notes that help her recall colors,shapes, even the time of day, she createsher watercolors. “An artist’s eye is stimu-lated by an individual’s personality,” saysMaher. “My feelings are expressed in theway I sketch. Some areas are lighter,

others darker, bringing more emphasisto things I’m interested in. There’s avery personal, intimate expression ofwhat appeals to me.”

Maher “becomes one” with whatshe’s painting—not by copying, but bynoticing what the scene is expressing toher. During one of her trips, she hadbeen playing with a friend’s youngdaughter on the beach. Later, on the carride home, Maher was able to sketch theexact scene, right down to the colorsand shadows.

Maher’s goal is to share the beautyshe captures and hopes others can relateto her paintings. After all, painting is away to communicate, she says. Sheequates painting to learning a new lan-guage. “Learning the different paintingtechniques is like learning the alphabet,”she says. “An artist can express them-

(Left) Maher captures a hill town north of Nice on the southern Mediterranean coast of France. This is one of the areas where the French impressionists painted,and was a favorite of van Gogh because of its clear air and sparkling sunlight. (Right) Closer to home, Maher spent time sketching and later painting Carroll Creek.

“I fell in love with the

watercolor medium and was

hooked.”

selves better after they master the tech-nical aspects.”

There are three variables in paintingwith watercolors—paper, pigment, andwater. The artist, as Maher explains, isjust the element putting them together.“For instance, a hot press creates verysmooth paper,” she says. “When paint-ing with watercolors, the water floats allover the page and, in the end, the wateris truly what painted it. Each pigmentworks differently too. Some have sedi-ments which create texture. Each ofthese elements lend to different subjectsin different ways. This is why you cannever truly copy a watercolor. Watercoloris such a versatile medium.”

Varying from the extreme to theabstract, Maher finds herself somewherein the middle. “It’s fun for me to experi-ment in a variety of techniques and avariety of subjects. My subject dependson my mood.”

Maher’s inspiration comes frommany places. Of course, her travelsallow her to capture exotic images, butshe’s also an avid gardener with a largeperennial garden at her Middletownhome. “My flowers provide me anopportunity to practice colors, shapes,and delicacy. They also give me theopportunity to enjoy my flowers moreintimately,” she says.

Landscapes are a core element in

Maher’s collections. Living in FrederickCounty gives her the opportunity tocapture farmland, hills, and woods. Oneof her collections showcases CarrollCreek, not painted from its banks, butfrom a canoe while floating down thecreek.

“I hired a wonderful canoe guide bythe name of Mark Melcher,” saysMaher. “He would get out of the canoeand hold it steady while I sketched. Itwas a wonderful time.”

Maher has shared her talents byteaching introductory and immediatewatercolor classes at her studio, a two-story glass atrium built 20 years ago asan addition to her home. She’s also

MARYLAND MADE

Inspired by picturesque Frederick County, Maher recreates a rugged old barn on a cold, wintry day.

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designed and taught a special course inwatercolor painting for seniors atHomewood and Buckingham’s Choiceretirement communities in Frederick.

“Some of the people I taught were intheir seventies and never paintedbefore,” recalls Maher. “After several les-sons they caught the bug. Some becameavid painters.”

Janet Cover, a student of Maher’s,remembers her lessons fondly. “Soniawas so generous of her time, sharingher art skills and her friendship,” saysCover. “She was excellent at teachingthe fundamentals but also encouragedimagination.”

Through the years, Maher’s work hasbeen exhibited at various art galleries inand around Frederick County as well asat her own studio. Although no longerexhibiting, she continues to work on

commissioned pieces and has recentlydonated a number of paintings to theFrederick-based nonprofit organization Way Station, Inc. (see sidebar on page 79).

Scott Rose, executive director of WayStation, truly appreciates Maher’s dona-tion. “Not only do we appreciate thegenerosity of Sonia’s donation, but wealso treasure the gift of herself and hertalents,” says Rose.

“I’ve learned a lot from many peo-ple,” says Maher. Constantly learningand practicing her art, Maher continuesto share the beauty she captures in eachwatercolor she paints.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MAHER,VISITWATERCOLORSBYSONIA.COM OR E-MAIL HER AT SMAHER@EROLS.COM.

MARYLAND MADE

“My feelings areexpressed in theway I sketch.”

(Above) Maher’s own perennial garden inspires vibrant watercolors.(Opposite) Maher makes notes to herself on rough sketches which later help her convey the colors, shadows, and feelings evoked from her time sketching.

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Good news was recently given to Way Station, Inc.—aFrederick-based nonprofit organization providing mentalhealth, housing, and vocational rehabilitation services for adultswith mental illness or developmental disabilities and childrenwith emotional and behavioral difficulties. On March 10,2006, Way Station will be the beneficiary of the 5th AnnualCharity Art Auction hosted by the Bar Association of FrederickCounty.

Attorney Beth Beam, chairperson of the annual event,explains how the BAFC focuses on making this a joint eventwith the chosen beneficiary. “Aside from the good work they alldo, we look for beneficiaries who have an active board and whohave people out in the community,” says Beam. “Way Stationwas motivated, eager, and ambitious to work with us. Theyreally shined.”

The auction, which in 2005 raised more than $11,000 forthe Interfaith Housing Alliance, always consists of art providedby an art auction house. This year, the auction house has madeallowances for art by a local artist to be used in a silent auction.That allowance couldn’t come at a better time.

Not long ago, Frederick watercolor artist Sonia Maherdonated more than 50 paintings to Way Station. Her onlystipulation? 100 percent of the proceeds from her paintingswould go toward funding Way Station services.

“Sonia’s gift has a double benefit,” says Way Stationexecutive director Scott Rose. “Her art not only touches hearts,but changes lives.”

For years, people suffering from severe mental illness wereshuffled from mental health institutions into communitiesunprepared to help them. In 1978, the Frederick CountyMental Health Association responded to these patients in needby launching Way Station.

Today, the organization serves over 3,500 clients and hasexpanded its services to neighboring communities in Howardand Carroll Counties.

Through the years, Way Station has received generous sup-port from donors in developing buildings in downtownFrederick that are now used as state-of-the-art training and edu-cation centers, open to rehabilitation and treatment providersand advocates from throughout the United States. And the cen-ters are working. Statistics show that Way Station clients have a26 percent employment rate compared to the 10-15 percentnational average; nearly 50 businesses each year employ WayStation clients through the Vocational Program; and there’s asignificant reduction in homelessness because of the organiza-tion’s Residential Rehabilitation & Housing Program, whichprovides housing and community living support to clients.

Although the average cost of services is only $16,800 perindividual, compared to over $180,000 when cared for in aMaryland state hospital, the costs are still taxing on the organi-zation. But thanks to the help of their benefactors, which nowinclude Sonia Maher and the BAFC, Way Station can continueto serve the people who need them most.

Tickets to this year’s 5th Annual Charity Art Auction, heldat Dutch’s Daughter are $20 per person, $30 per couple. Topurchase tickets, contact Beth-Beam (301-694-4949), KateWaeber (301-663-1139), or e-mail info@frederickbar.org. Tolearn more about Way Station, visit waystation.org. To learnmore about Sonia Maher, visit watercolorsbysonia.com.

The cover art created for this issue of Frederick was painted bySonia Maher and will be a part of this year’s auction.

CHANGING LIVES …one painting at a time