Don Sondag is known for portraits, but he loves to paint outdoors scenes. That should be obvious from this month’s cover, Lily Pad Cloud Perspective, which is a view of Lake Virginia toward Rollins College.
Sondag, a native of Winter Park, earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He also studied painting and portraiture at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League in New York City.
In addition to painting, Sondag teaches at the Crealdé School of Art, where he joined the faculty in 1990. He has also taught at Seminole State College and Walt Disney Feature Animation.
Sondag has accepted portrait commissions from the Dr. P. Phillips Foundation, Seminole State College, Tupperware Brands Corporation and the University of Central Florida.
His image of the iconic Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) hangs in the lobby of Tiedtke Concert Hall on the campus of Rollins — as does his portrait of philanthropist John Tiedtke.
In early 2020, Sondag staged an exhibition of original pieces called Venetian Canals of Winter Park: The Art of Don Sondag, which was on view at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens and moved online-only due to COVID-19.
His works have graced Winter Park Magazine’s covers five times — including an original portrait of the late Rollins College President Thaddeus Seymour that he completed, at our request, in less than a week following Seymour’s death in October 2019.
Sondag paintings have also been featured on posters for the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival and Casa Feliz and are prominent in numerous private collections. “I paint portraits primarily but love to paint outdoors,” he says. “Capturing the light, color and form is what I try to compose in my paintings.”
Wouldn’t Lily Pad Cloud Perspective look great on the wall of your home or office? If so, the recently completed work is on sale through Arts on Douglas at 123 Douglas Street, New Smyrna Beach. For more information, call the gallery at 386-428-1133 or visit artsondouglas.net.