About
About Sophie Mahir
Sophie was born in London in 1967 and moved to Forest Row in the Sussex countryside at a young age. She was educated at Michael Hall Steiner School where she gained many exams including her favourite subjects Art, History, and Commerce.
During 1986 Sophie started up her own business in hand-knitted jumpers, after demand for her one-off pieces had accelerated. But after a while her desire to paint again took precedence and she enrolled on an intensive three-year course studying Colour, Painting, Drawing, Sculpture and Art History at Tobias School of Art, East Grinstead, Sussex. She graduated in 1990 with a Degree level qualification in Waldorf Steiner Art Education.
Sophie then continued to run her successful knitwear business, as well as teaching painting privately, getting married and bringing up her two daughters.
She moved to Brighton in 1994, and later took the post of Art Teacher at the Brighton Steiner School where she taught for seven years. Over these years it became increasingly difficult to maintain her own painting development as well as progressing her students. So in 2004 she left the school to concentrate fully on her own work and she now runs her own business painting and running Art Workshops.
Sophie’s training means she concentrates on getting the colours right first, and the composition evolves out of the colours. Compositions arrive from a collection of sources, sketches, memories and sometimes photographs. Sophie’s chosen media is acrylic paint because she likes the quick drying time, meanings layers can be applied quickly one on top of the other. She uses a palette knife and various mediums, and enjoys building up a rich tapestry of colour and textures. Sophie has recently become a member of the National Acrylic Painters Association.
Sophie’s paintings explore the shapes, structures and geometry of buildings, boats and waterside objects, often distorting and changing the angles making the onlooker see things from all different view –points.
Sophie sold her work through galleries, as well as through many national Art Fairs, local & national exhibitions and via her agent.
Sophie is now a qualified Business Coach, Trainer and Speaker who runs her business Aleptis Coaching & Training full time. She offers a range of coaching programs, training workshops, talks and events. Many of her clients are fellow artists.
If you would like to find out more contact Sophie on 01273 512532 or 07828 901174 or email: sophie@aleptis.co.uk