illustration – Sonya Ellen Mann

This website was archived on July 21, 2019. It is frozen in time on that date.

Sonya Mann's active website is Sonya, Supposedly.

My Collection of Furson(y)as

Posted on September 3, 2018May 30, 2019 by Sonya Mann

Rabbits have been my symbol for years, and I used to identify strongly with rabbit psychology. (I’m more assertive now, so I only weakly identify with rabbit psychology.) I even have a bunny tattoo:

In the style of Beatrix Potter, drawn and tattooed by Stevie Varin.

I wouldn’t call myself a “real” furry, but I do enjoy having various drawings of myself as a cute bunny. My default avatar is a bunny designed by Polyducks, and since then I’ve accrued several more. For a while I’ve been meaning to share all of them in a blog post, roughly chronologically. Without any further ado…

Rabbit based on Polyducks' color scheme, created by my Twitter friend @userlint. — A rabbit based on Polyducks’ color scheme, created by my Twitter friend @userlint.

"OK, this is my sonic-the-hedgehog-fanart-level attempt at Sonya as the Daicon IV mascot" — Twitter friend @enkiv2. — “OK, this is my sonic-the-hedgehog-fanart-level attempt at Sonya as the Daicon IV mascot” — Twitter friend @enkiv2.

Illustration commissioned from Jay Holloway. — Femme bun commissioned from Jay Holloway / @bonesnail. I looove this one. She’s so pretty.

Shaman rabbit created by Twitter friend @DukeOfVenezuela. — Rabbit shaman (druid priestess?) created by Twitter friend @DukeOfVenezuela.

Hacker bun designed by Jade Lejeck, @pixeljadeart. — Hacker bun commissioned from Jade Lejeck / @pixeljadeart.

Hacker bun remixed by @pastellbits (warning, a lot of her art is NSFW). The artist is also on Instagram as @pastelbits.

I’ll add to this post once I have more bun-selves to share! Hopefully soon, muahahhaahaha!

Update on 9/19/2018:

Sonya Mann's rabbit fursona by purple-pies from DeviantArt — Another remix of Jade Lejeck’s hacker bun design, this time by purple-pies from DeviantArt.

Update on 1/9/2019: I’m a little late adding this one, but I commissioned another bunson(y)a from Pastel Bits!

Wearing the Japanese streetwear style mori-kei. Designed by @pastellbits. — Bun-me is wearing the Japanese streetwear style mori-kei. Designed by @pastellbits.

Update on 5/31/2019: Also late adding this one…

Illustration by PinkPuff, AKA @DrMeganParker. — Illustration by PinkPuff, AKA @DrMeganParker (warning, NSFW account… and, uh, I cropped this one for my website; you can probably guess why).

Y’know, maybe I am a ~real~ furry at this point.

And here’s a bunson(y)a that I’m adding promptly:

Snufkin rendition by Twitter friend @suchaone. — Snufkin-themed rendition by Twitter friend @suchaone.

Yet Another New Thing: Announcing Exolymph

Posted on December 18, 2015December 18, 2015 by Sonya Mann

I just sent the email below to my newsletter subscribers. You should join their ranks! Because I want you to! That’s a good reason, right?

Dear everyone,

I am a serial project-starter. I always tell myself, “This is the last time! From now on I’m just going to concentrate on my own website!” But no, I’m incapable of doing that. I suppose it’s okay. Eventually I’ll hit pay dirt (ugh, I really hope so). Tradeoffs Press is still live, sort of, but I’ve lost steam. Balm Digest continues to exist, in a weird new form, albeit neglected — no steam there either.

Actually, I haven’t lost steam. That is inaccurate. The steam has just been directed elsewhere. It’s been directed to Exolymph, a cyberpunk newsletter that I launched recently. I am really enjoying this endeavor, and if you’re interested in computers and RAD TECHNO-DYSTOPIAS, you might like it too. Go ahead and sign up here.

Forlorn bunny illustration by Paola Zakimi -- the print is $5.50 on Etsy. — Forlorn bunny illustration by Paola Zakimi — the print is $5.50 on Etsy.

Okay, that’s all! Thank you so much for subscribing to this newsletter! I hope you’re enjoying December :)

Best,
Sonya

$75 Per Month For Clothes

Posted on October 12, 2015May 20, 2016 by Sonya Mann

Fashion illustration by Georges Lepape (1887-1971) via MCAD Library.

After reading my post about budgeting, my dad emailed me:

Not wanting to be a downer, but a few items I’d suggest adding to your budget …

Car: operation, repair, and replacement fund: $250
Clothing: $75
Incidentals (haircut, parking fees, etc): $50
Entertainment (plays, movies, restaurants, camping): $75
Short-term saving (to cover unusual expenses, like travel, or a new computer — savings that you expect to spend over a 5 year period): $200
Long-term saving / rainy-day fund (building up your savings): $100

These are very rough estimates, but give you a more realistic picture of your total financial picture. Also, I’d suggest that you do some grouping of expenses to put all the similar expenses together. I can show you how to do that if you want

To which I responded:

Exactly, I wanted to figure how much room I have for saving & incidental spending! I didn’t think about adding car repair, though. That’s a good point.

Do you spend $75/month on clothes?!

Dad said:

Every year I probably have to buy roughly 3 pairs of shoes ($300), 4 pairs of pants ($120), socks (40), underwear and tshirts (60), and maybe one jacket ($120). That would add up to $600. So maybe I spend $50/month on clothes. Maybe that’s a more reasonable budget estimate.

So that’s that. He’s apparently much harder on his wardrobe than I am.

Fashion illustration by George Barbier (1882-1932) via the New York Public Library.

Ugh Please Shut Up

Posted on September 7, 2015May 20, 2016 by Sonya Mann

the annoyed boy -- illustration — Illustration by Elise Lesueur.

I’ve been going through Ask a Manager’s archives, and I came across this charming tidbit regarding how to put up with people who seem unbearable:

“My sister always advises me, when visiting annoying relatives, to pretend to be one of the many long-suffering characters in Jane Austen novels who have to be pleasant to and patient with irritating relations. It’s remarkably effective; it reframes things in a much more amusing (and bearable) context.”

annoyed french bulldog — *Annoyed French Bulldog* by RONLEWHORN.

I emailed that quote to my mom, because she tends to share Sartre’s condemnation: “Hell is other people.” Mom responded:

“Yes! I often think about how much time those characters had to spend listening to boring people prosing on and on about something completely uninteresting for the thousandth time. And they had to pretend to be interested and keep a pleasant look on their faces.”

After a minute she sent another email and quipped, “How lucky we are to be alive today, when no one is surprised if you’re rude.” If only!

I try to cope with irritation graciously but it is very difficult.

How Do People Manage To Do Jobs They Love???

Posted on August 13, 2015May 20, 2016 by Sonya Mann

hunched over spooky creature illustration — Illustration by jessicanicole______ on Instagram. Yes, that many underscores in the username.

During the past few days I’ve been thinking about art and money, about ways to be entrepreneurial while working with art. (Contemplating such things has even entailed posting on my neglected curatorial Tumblr.)

I love the idea of being an art broker, or a dealer, or whatever the correct term is for a person who represents artists and sells their work. The whim has caught me and it’s bouncing around in my brain.

Of course, I love the idea, but I would probably be bad at dealing art. Go-get-’em sales-sense is not my forte. I can be relatively charming but hawking wares makes me squeamish. The hard-sell approach is painful.

colorful abstract money painting — Ten-cent painting (see what I did there?) by Jason McHenry.

ArtBusiness.com has this subject locked down and reading those articles did not make me feel like selling art is lucrative. Not that I’m surprised. People do it for love, not money, like writing. Spoiler alert: creative pursuits don’t make you rich unless you’re incredibly lucky and at least somewhat talented. “Starving artist” is a valid cliche.

The devil on my shoulder — we’re all born with one, I think — discourages every fantasy. I can’t decide if it’s practical or defeatist.

Grotesque painting, Familiar, by Bruno Nadalin; $50 on Etsy. — Grotesque painting by Bruno Nadalin; $50 on Etsy.

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