Sondra L. Jonson carefully adds detail to her next sculpture. With precision and sculpting tool in hand, each piece can take up to a year to create.
"It's a long process," Jonson said. "There's nothing quick about sculpture. The only quick thing is the idea."
Sondra's love of art began in the first grade. She pursued painting first, but fell in love with sculpture in college.
"The magic of it is you're creating something tangible where there was nothing but air," she said.
Sondra grew up in Philadelphia, but moved to Nebraska to raise her kids. She's left her impression on the community as her sculptures can be found in Holdrege, Arapahoe and McCook. She has 50 large pieces in the United States and one in Canada.
"This is a dream come true that people come to me for a special thing, for a special occasion,
for a special purpose, like for a Veteran's monument or for a church," Jonson said. "I get to design it and create it."
Sondra's faith inspires her to put new life into the clay. Most of her work goes to churches, and the others, to Veteran's monuments. It's one way Sondra shows appreciation to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
"How many people get to do a project that has that much personal meaning for a family, for a
city, and just for our military in general?" she said.
The process may take awhile to get finished. Careful hands transform lifeless clay into sculptures that evoke emotion and bring memories to those that pass them by.
Sondra's currently working on a sculpture that will end up at a prison in Kansas. It will be a part of their inspirational healing center.
