Masks of Innocence. Sunny Strasburg and Martin Stensaas 2017
SUNNY STRASBURG | ART | DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY
BIOGRAPHY
“I believe making art is casting a spell. My intention is to imbue the work with the entelechy and offer visual cues toward the ineffable. For me, art is an experience reflecting the Four Directions of Alchemy...in the first phase, the idea is organized within the energetic/spirit realm. The second phase is creating the work which is pulling the energy of thought and crafting it into matter- the art piece itself. The third phase is offering the work to the viewer and sharing in the experience. The fourth and final phase is connecting both viewer and artist into the greater collective unconscious through the sublime collective experience art can provide. These four phases, in my mind, correlate to Air (Solutio), Fire (Calcinatio), Earth (Coagulatio), and Water (Solutio).
Collaboratively painting with my husband has been a rich creative experience- there is an ease in knowing when to assert my marks, and when to allow space for his, brainstorming concepts and compositions. People are surprised to hear we have a fluid process. Martin brings focus, patience and a high level of skill to our work. I bring the conceptual, figural and archetypal. Influences include philosophers, Noah Yuval Harari, Joseph Campbell and William James. Archetypal psychology, nature, as well as psychedelics and electronic music are also major influences.”
Sunny is a visual artist, Jungian psychotherapist, and an avid outdoor sports enthusiast. These three streams of interest weave into all of her work. From Salt Lake City, she has a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Utah, and a Master of Arts degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Counseling Psychology with a specialty in Jungian Psychotherapy and is a Certified EMDR Trauma Psychotherapist. She is also completing her Certification of Psychedelic Therapy and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies.
Prior to being a psychotherapist, Sunny was a professional artist working in children’s and graphic illustration and character design, life drawing, 3D modeling and animation for video games, logo, website, and product design. Her counseling psychology master's thesis is a self-produced book on the hero/heroine’s archetypal journey as visualized by the four directions in alchemy, Alchemist's Path: Navigating and Reclaiming the Depths of Your Psyche. She has produced a therapy workbook, Goddess Alchemy: A Dream Journal, The book cover to Dream Yoga by Tav Sparks, Art exhibitions include, Temple of Visions, Phaneros Art, Sally Centigrade, MAPS fundraising event pop up shows, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Salt Lake Citizen, High Life Gallery and Alex Grey's CoSM: The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors.
Sunny is a lover of nature and hiking, trail running and mountain biking in the gorgeous Wasatch Mountains and the deserts in Southern Utah. She enjoys fitness, boxing, research in psychology, philosophy and the philosophical implications of nascent areas of philosophy, such as the juxtaposition of psychedelics and artificial intelligence in the modern age. She enjoys spellcrafting and studying mythology and mystical traditions throughout the world and history.For more information about her psychotherapy practice, For more inromation about Sunny’s psychotherapy practice, please visit www.sunnystrasburgtherapy.com.
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Over thirty years experience as a professional artist and designer. She has had several art shows and exhibitions. Experienced in children’s and graphic illustration and character design. Additional experience in life drawing, 3D modeling and animation, logo, website, and product design. Over twenty years experience working in digital illustration. She has a Bachelor Degree of Fine Art with a dual emphasis in graphic design and illustration. Her counseling psychology master's thesis was a self-produced book, Alchemist's Path: Navigating and Reclaiming the Depths of Your Psyche. She has also produced a therapy workbook, Goddess Alchemy: A Dream Journal, Art shows at the Temple of Visions, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Salt Lake Citizen, High Life Gallery and Alex Grey's CoSM: The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors.
ART EXHIBITIONS
“Mystical Beasts” Group Show. Sally Centigrade Denver, CO 2018
MAPS Fundraiser Gala Art Event. Bentley Reserve, San Francisco, CA 2018
"11/11" Collaborative Show. Phaneros Gallery, Nevada City, CA 2017
Group Show. Phaneros Family Campout 2017
"Love" Collaborative Show. Utah Arts Alliance, Urban Arts Gallery, SLC, UT 2016
"Red Tide" Group Show. Bash Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2015
"Sunny Strasburg: Archetypal Art" Solo Exhibit, Main Gallery, Library, SLC, UT 2012
Art Show at the CoSM: Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. New York City 2007
Art Show and live painting at the Ruckus: Orange. Salt Lake City, UT 2008
Art Show at IAMU World Gem Exposition. Tucson AZ, 2008
Gallery Artist at The Portal Gallery. Mt Shasta, CA 2000
"Naturally Nude" Group art show, Rare Images Gallery. Mt Shasta, CA 2000
Group art show invitational, The Art Store. Denver, CO 1996
"Grow Up!" Comic book art show invitational. Los Angeles, 1996
Awarded four year, full tuition art merit scholarship, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 1988
CONCEPT ARTIST, MODELER, ANIMATOR AND WRITER
Illustrated, wrote and published The Alchemist's Path: Navigating and Reclaiming the Depths of Your Psyche, 2008
Illustrated book cover art for, Movie Yoga by Tav Sparks, 2008
Illustrated, wrote and published Goddess Alchemy: A Dream Journal 2007
Illustrated children’s book; Gingerbread Jimmi for Holbrook Studios
Moderator for the Pod Collective www.podcollective.com
Directed and edited live motion capture, as well as designed, modeled and created texture maps for 3D characters for Quest. Animated character and special effects for Centipede demo. Key-framed animations for X-fire full motion video “win” animation. Key-framed animated character for A Bug's Life demo for Pixar/Disney; developed for Hasbro/EAI. Animated short clips for book, Gingerbread Jimmi
Writer and Illustrator for Pacifica Graduate Institute Spring Journal
Tutorials Writer for Serious 3d Magazine about MetaReyes plug-in for 3d Studio; developed for Komodo Studio
3D Modeling and Animation, Book Illustration, Brainstorming/Creative Sessions, Computer Design and Colorizing, Portrait and Caricature, Packaging and Displays, Logo Design, Character and Texture Design
CERTIFICATIONS
EMDR Advanced Certification
Gottman Trained Psychotherapist
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Graduate Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Depth, Pacifica Graduate Institute
Life Drawing, University of California, Los Angeles, California
Computer Illustration Continuing Education Series, University of California, Los Angeles, California
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah