She Forgot Her Art for 10 Years — Then Found Her Way Back
Interview with painter & printmaker Sophia Sattar (This one's for anyone who’s ever felt lost.)
Most people refer to “golden hour” as the soft light just before sunset.
But, it is also that period right after sunrise when the sun travels through the atmosphere for the first time, scattering all remnants of blue light — revealing red, yellows, and effervescent purples.
Imagine this: It is that early golden hour and you are standing on the second-floor balcony of a beautiful Spanish-styled residence.
Under your bare feet, each orange tile — as it kisses the sun — warms up just one degree. Then another.
The shadows of maple and oak trees dance like hand puppets across the sandy stones, and you take your first deep breath of the day.
Welcome to a stunning, crisp morning in Alamo, California…and the home — the haven — of Pakistani artist Sophia Sattar.
Read to the end of Sophia’s story for a couple special offers:
→ Discount tickets to join us live for “Nurturing Our Creative Vitality” (11/9)
→ 10% off your first Wabi Blobi experience
Meet Sophia Sattar
The first time I meet Sophia, I am instantly captivated by her energy.
While her facial features are soft and inviting, she has an urgency about her — like a million stories are at the tip of her tongue.
She wears a flowing, light-jade hijab and matching blouse, and she immediately draws me in with her body language: hands swirling about as she narrates (paints) scenes from her childhood — all the while intensely holding my gaze from behind angular ”artiste” glasses.
We start by discussing her business of 15 years, Paint & Picnic, located at Storybook Glade — Sophia’s garden art studio that serves as a romantic neighborhood common for everything from unique paint and sip gatherings to elegant private events.
We talk about how her business came to be.
But, more importantly, we talk about its impact — a topic that Sophia shies away initially, then opens up about.
Sophia: Thank you for asking me that question.
Because, I don’t think I’ve ever thought about what I’ve given back to my community. But…so many young girls who I gave art lessons to have become architects and artists.
And, they would visit me and say: ‘Sophia, it’s because of your classes that I wanted to pursue art…’
And, it’s not just young people that Sophia has an influence on. Countless of her peers have witnessed Sophia’s windy, creative, and stubbornly ambitious path…and wondered to themselves: ‘what if?’
Sophia: Women — moms — come up to me and ask: I’m thinking of going back to school. Can you tell me how you did it?
I remember one of them wanted to go to culinary school. She came up to me after completing her program and said: ‘It is because you went back to art school [after having three kids] that inspired me to be a pastry chef.’
At the time, I had no idea these moments were happening.
Sophia did not ever set out to change lives. But, it is her unbeknownst impact on the creative wellbeing and life choices of others that makes her story so resonant.
So, here goes…
A Celebration of Self
After more than a decade of putting aside her career as an accomplished artist (both in Pakistan and in the States) to raise her three children, Sophia started Paint & Picnic in 2010 as a rediscovery and reinvention of the creative woman she is outside of motherhood.
Sophia: It all started in the garage [of my last home].
And, with a very simple thought: my three kids will grow up one day and say ‘bye, Mom!” Then, what am I going to do? How do I pick up where I left off before I had kids?
I wondered how I could work towards building that creative person again…
And, the risk of not acting — right then and there — was that I would leave that person for dead.
So, Sophia took swift action. Her kids were still young at the time, so she decided that her new venture would have to be operational from her home.
Sophia: Being present to raise my kids was very important to me — specifically, allowing myself the time and support it requires to raise them as Muslim children in this country [the US]. She thought: ‘I need to start a home business.’
Sophia imagined an arts and crafts studio in her garage, and quickly cleaned up the space, equipped it with AC units (for those toasty summer afternoons), and stocked it full of wholesale art supplies.
In those early days, there were weekends when she and her husband would drive seven hours down from Danville, CA to Los Angeles to pick up hundreds of canvases in bulk. This was before Amazon.com.
And, while she was preparing her garage art studio for her new business, she honed her teaching style — as it required breaking down her artistic instincts and technique into elementary-level steps that anyone could follow and have fun with.
Sophia: What was my first paint party like?
My very first paint party client was a local horse-riding instructor who wanted to bring her students in for a therapeutic and light-hearted event. It was a beautiful day, so I moved the entire setup out of the garage and into the backyard. And, when her students arrived, they gathered around a large table decked out in canvases and paintbrush sets and got lost in their art projects.
It was so much fun!
Sophia smiles so wide — recounting this first class.
Fast forward 15 years, Sophia is the proud owner of Paint & Picnic, a nature-inspired paint and sip experience that continues to grow everyday. Her parties now offer a small (but spectacular) Turkish and halal menu from neighborhood eateries, and features trendy motifs like her upcoming Bridgerton-themed party.
Sophia: As of a couple years ago, I also expanded Paint & Picnic into a garden rental business where I offer my classically-designed and landscaped one-acre lot as a three-tiered reservable event venue. Per the suggestion of my paint party clients — who would fall in love with my garden — I started listing the space on platforms like Peer Space and getting lots of traction.
Today, my garden is booked up three to five times a week with birthday parties, weddings, and other private events. And, I have the pleasure of helping plan, curate, decorate, and execute these beautiful gatherings.
Artist Beginnings
What I admire most about Sophia is her deep respect and regard for her inner artist, even when life nudges her away from that core. Ever since she was a child…
Sophia: I’m originally from Pakistan, from a city called Karachi.
Located at the southernmost tip of the country, Karachi is the capital of the Sindh province and also the largest city in Pakistan.
Sophia: Career-wise, both my parents were doctors and wanted me to follow in their footsteps.
But, there was no way. I wouldn’t be able to breathe in that environment. I’ve always been more right-brained.
When Sophia expressed her love of art (and intention to pursue an arts education), her father strictly refused. She was devastated.
Her mother, on the other hand, fully supported her ambitions and single-handedly put her through the Bachelor of Fine Arts program in painting and printmaking at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (established in 1990 and now known for its premier curriculum in fine arts, design, and architecture).
And, Sophia thrived.
After graduation, Sophia embedded into her community as a career artist (a rarity in her community) and developed a unique bond with a group of four other women who were showcased together in one of Pakistan’s premier current affairs magazines, the Herald.
Sophia: [In Pakistan] I was doing super well as an artist, and as an art teacher (teaching drawing at Indus Valley). And, us five women — we were an anomaly.
So, what prompted Sophia to leave her life as an artist in Pakistan and come to America? Well… that’s a long-ish story.
A New Life (and Artistic Hiatus) in America
Sophia has two sisters. Both lived in the States while Sophia was attending university, so she would visit them from time to time.
After her bachelor studies, Sophia quite enjoyed her life as a young professional artist. But, her eventual dream was to get a Master of Fine Art (MFA) in America — a stark contrast to her parents’ hopes of finding her a husband and marrying her off.
At 24, Sophia’s worst nightmare was setting down. She dodged her family’s every matchmaking effort. But, they were a few steps ahead…
Sophia: One of my sisters [who lived in Texas] was having a baby, so my mom suggested I go visit her for some time.
Thinking nothing of it, I agreed that it was a great idea and I was excited too.
‘I would go visit my sister, spend some quality time with the baby, then come back!’, I thought.
Little did I know that I would never return home to Pakistan after that visit.
Behind the scenes, my mom and sister had set me up on back-to-back blind dates that began the second I landed in Houston. So, that entire summer, I spent my days meeting new strangers I had no intention of marrying.
And, honestly, it was a huge waste of time….
That is, until Sophia met one last guy and came to the table with a spontaneously daring request.
Sophia: I was at my wit’s end meeting boy after boy — day after day.
So, when one of the men asked (at the end of a meeting): “do you have any questions for me?”. I immediately shot back: ‘Yes’ (without even thinking).
‘Yes I do.’
‘I will marry you if you put me through art school. Will you do that?’
Without hesitation, he said ‘Yes’ — which was the least likely answer I could have expected.
So, that was that. ‘Let’s do it!’ I shouted, stunned.
Today, this boy is Sophia’s husband.
After their wedding, though, Sophia does not pursue an MFA.
Sophia: Soon after getting married, I got pregnant — with twins. Then, I got pregnant again.
Ten years went by. And, I forgot about my past.
I forgot about my dreams of pursuing a Masters, and of making art.
Slowly, over the course of these years of attending to every need and desire of her children (but not her own), Sophia became very depressed. She thought: “I am not made for this” — not because she did not love her children or family, but because her inner artist and entire craft had become completely neglected.
She barely recognized the version of herself she knew was still inside: the version who loved her career and would fight for the right to make art.
Sophia: One day, my husband (who is so amazing, by the way) asked me: ‘Did you still want to go to art school?’
Sophia froze. Yes. YES. YESSS. Yes, of course she wanted to go to art school. Their life circumstances just made it seem impossible. But, that part of her was begging to come out.
Then, the most serendipitous thing happened.
Sophia: We had just moved to the Bay Area. I was sitting in the waiting room of my kid’s pediatrician’s office in San Francisco, and I picked up a magazine. It was a parenting magazine. Then, I flipped to a full page ad for the Academy of Art University [one of the largest privately-owned art and design schools in the US], announcing their newest admission season and application deadlines.
I could not believe it. It was a sign.
I immediately called my friend, and told her that I really wanted this.
She practically screamed into the phone: ‘You can do it!’
And, that was it. I applied, got admission to the MFA program, and never looked back.
While it was a grueling schedule to maintain — commuting to and from her home in Danville, CA to the Academy’s downtown San Francisco campus (a four-hour commute roundtrip) every weekday for four years (while staying fully present as a mom of two fourth-graders and one kindergartener) — Sophia’s world changed completely.
Sophia: Oh my gosh, it was so amazing. I was just soaking it all in…
I loved my teachers and fellow students. And, the world just opened up for me again.
Sophia’s dreams as an artist awakened. And, she has never been the same since.
The Dream
When I ask Sophia what her ultimate dream as an artist is — whatever that means to her — her answer doesn’t skip a beat.
Sophia: It is the same dream: the same dream I had when I started my Bachelors… when I started my Masters…when I moved to America….
It is to be featured in a gallery.
Why? Because she wants to be able to share her modern, abstract take on Islamic art and Muslim identity to the world.
Sophia: As a Muslim artist, it is very important for me to showcase Islam.
My work is a fusion of very traditional Islamic art and a modern style, and is very personal to me and my family’s experience as immigrants in this country — especially our lives after the tragic event of 9/11 [which exacerbated the vilification of all Muslim people in America].
Even at school, commuting to and from San Francisco to attend the Academy. I remember having racial and cultural slurs spewed at me while walking to school in my hijab.
So, yes — my work is for the Western eye. And, its main purpose is to echo the voice of my community:
“I am here. I am Muslim. And, I can also be part of your fabric.
‘I’m not destroying it. I’m making it beautiful.’
This longing for belonging, celebration of identity, and art brings us back to Sophia’s present day focus: Paint & Picnic.
What’s Next at Paint & Picnic
So, below the soft sways of gentle branches, Sophia and I end our conversation with a little peek into what’s next for her business.
Sophia: The business is going really well. I told myself this year: ‘Learn social media marketing and get better at content creation!’ So, that’s been my focus.
At first, I felt very overwhelmed. But, with encouragement from my youngest son — who reminded me that I can learn new things and to just try…I started to learn the ins and outs of filming/editing social media videos.
Because…this business is not just about putting money into just my pocket.
It gives me the opportunity to support others in their small businesses and creative journeys — like the mom-and-pop restaurants I cater from for my events and the young (and adult) artists I inspire through my classes.
Then, as if her own world suddenly became clear to herself for the very first time, Sophia looks at me with such gratitude and excitement for having shared her story.
Above us, the sun has risen up into the sky.
As I gaze back at Sophia, filled with the feeling of awe, I appreciate her for everything that she has become to me:
…myself, in a way…
…my younger self…
...my own mom…who has just entered a new era of self-discovery…
…my dreams…
perhaps, even some future version of myself…reminding me that there is always a way back…
With that, thank you for experiencing this piece with us.
And, if you have not had the pleasure of visiting Sophia at Paint & Picnic, please consider her offerings for your next intimate and creative gathering! You may also want to follow Sophia’s business journey on Instagram.
Finally, I had the pleasure of speaking to one of Sophia’s clients after our interview. Her name is Hadia, and this is what she had to say:
‘I’ve known Sophia for the past 20 years…and she is truly genuine—reliable, kind, and full of heart.
Actually, my daughter was one of Sophia’s students, and she learned so much under Sophia’s guidance. In fact, Sophia played a big role in helping my daughter discover her passion for the arts. This year, she is starting university as an Architecture major, and we have Sophia to thank for inspiring that journey…
What I love most about Sophia’s art is that it is thoughtful and refined, full of subtle details that reflect a wide range of perspectives and emotions.
As an artist, she’s not only deeply passionate about her own creations, but she also has a genuine appreciation for the talents of others. She has a remarkable eye for potential and takes the time to encourage and guide emerging artists with care and sincerity.
In her presence, you start to believe in your own creativity and often discover talents you didn’t even know you had.
So, with those beautiful words from Hadia, I wish you all a creative and community-filled week ahead, and I invite you to dive into a few of our other offerings below — if you feel so called.
🌱More Stories & Offerings
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