Sofia Hernandez Crade grew up in the rural town of Divide, Colorado — a place still teeming with untamed beauty where the sound of mountain lion calls and coyote howls often sing louder than the rumble of passing cars.

There she played amongst the aspen groves and ponderosa forest naming the trees as she went. Mesmerized by the abundance of life, this passion and love for creatures great and small led her to acquire a menagerie all her own, with everything from goldfish to goats, beetles to bunnies, and rats to roosters. Living side by side, these feathered and furry friends taught her that, like people, each individual animal possesses a character all their own. Life with animals was endlessly rewarding, but not without its sorrows. The delight of new births was accompanied by the pain of great loss. Death was an unwelcome fact of life on the farm, one that was never made easier. Sofi's work explores the beauty and fragility of life while not shying away from exploring issues of mortality. Her portraits aim to honor and give dignity to each of her subjects, giving voice to the often overlooked, complex inner lives of animals.

She enjoys working in a variety of different mediums including sculpture, oil, watercolor, and pastel. Recently she has gravitated towards multimedia projects.  This mixing of materials allows her pieces to develop in unexpected ways.

For Sofi, there is no better feeling than allowing oneself space to play and experiment. She strives for her work to feel fresh, playful, and alive with energy. This bold process-based approach and her emotive line quality give an added sense of movement to her works, and her courageous use of color leaves the eye yearning for more. When asked what medium is her favorite, Sofi often responds, "Whatever I have in my hands at the moment!”. She truly believes that art should be lived. “Whether it be making dinner, sculpting, painting, or sewing, we should live each day striving to bring art and beauty into this world! After all, life is what you make!”.

Sofi attended Beloit College in Wisconsin, where she obtained a degree in Fine Art. There she received several awards for her work, including Best Thesis for her sculpture installation.

She also had the privilege of working as an advocate, teaching Art Therapy to survivors of sexual assault for three years. While doing so, she was recognized with the honor of Volunteer of the Year in the city of Beloit. After a 7 month post-college sabbatical, traveling throughout Europe, she moved back to her beloved childhood home of beautiful Colorado. She worked as the Art Director at the Squash Blossom Gallery for several years, and continued to surround herself with inspiring works of art at the Broadmoor Galleries, where she enjoyed representing a wide range of artists and their work for several years. Sofi is happy to now be a full time studio artist since 2019 and enjoys living and creating art in the picturesque town of Old Colorado City she calls home. You can find her in her home studio and Manitou Arts Center studio four to 8 days a week working in various mediums and subjects.

Please feel free to reach out for any inquiries or commission requests.