Muralist Sophie Groenstein adds splashes of color to Connecticut buildings.
By Lannan O’Brien
It’s been just over two years since artist Sophie Groenstein graduated from college, but she’s already developed a presence throughout her community and the state of Connecticut. “There’s so much love here, and I feel like it’s overseen and overlooked,” says Groenstein, who grew up in Windsor, Connecticut. “So I wanted to do my part [to celebrate that] and get into murals.”
Artistic talent runs in Groenstein’s family: her mother, Heather Groenstein, is a sixth- to eighth-grade art teacher. After observing her mother mentor one of her students, Corey Pane, and seeing the growth of his work as a muralist, Sophie was inspired to paint large-scale work of her own while at Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford, where she received a BFA in Illustration.
Today, her clients include manufacturing companies, schools, restaurants, and breweries (she has designed beer can labels for Back East Brewing Company in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and Far From The Tree Cider in Salem, Massachusetts), to name a few. Businesses might want to portray their products or choose imagery that focuses on the local community and its people—the latter of which is Groenstein’s favorite subject. “I love portraiture, and I guess my artistic mission is to celebrate the warmth of individuality,” she says. “It’s just really diving deep into what makes people unique.”
Groenstein gathers real-life inspiration from her surroundings, driving to each mural site with her art supplies (“ladder and all,” she says) to get a feel for the area. Using reference photos, she sketches multiple rough drafts. And then the final work begins.
When it comes time to paint, Groenstein gravitates toward a color palette that includes oranges, purples, pinks, and yellows, saying, “Those are just what makes me feel comforted and peaceful.”
Butterflies, birds, and flowers are some of the symbols of nature that are ever-present in Groenstein’s creations. The reason for this representation is that she has been surrounded by nature throughout her life. Groenstein lives in her family home in Windsor, next to a horse farm. “I’ve always been intrigued by where we live, and the greenery and the animals. I just think it’s really nurturing. As a kid, I used to hug trees a lot,” she says with a self-deprecating laugh. “Whether it’s intentional or not, I love adding it into all of my pieces, even if it’s just a little flower, some vines, or even butterflies. I think it’s just a great tie-in of bliss and connecting nature with humans.”
Recently, Groenstein completed a special project celebrating the 100th anniversary of Spring Glen Elementary School in Hamden, Connecticut. Over the course of a couple of months, she used input from students in grades K-6 to plan a school mural and designed a paint-by-number system so that students in every grade level could participate. Even the youngest among them made their mark by adding handprints. “This project cultivated their attention, and everyone was so kind to each other while they were painting,” says Groenstein. “It really brought the students together.”
Most recently, Groenstein and her colleague Catie Lewis completed a mural on Park Street as part of a project with the Greater Hartford Arts Council this past summer. The painting focuses on the transition from girlhood to womanhood and incorporates many of the artist’s favorite natural elements.
