Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Davis.
Hi Sam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all began with coloring books. Starting as young as 5, I would have several different coloring books all at once. All of them started and none of them finished. They would all range from Disney Princesses to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as I would easily get bored and need to switch up my subject matter to get me excited again.
Mediums ranging from crayons, markers, colored pencils, and on rare occasions, I would score big time with my mom if she let me have those coloring books that came with the watercolor palette on the outside of the book! Going through elementary, middle, and high school there was always a constant happy place for me, where I felt like I could be my most authentic wacky self, and that was art class. I am an only child through and through, so getting my parent’s approval has always weighed heavy on me in some kind of way.
I went through a phase of wanting to be a doctor, but learning that would take several years of school, I quickly changed my mind. I truly just wanted to go to college for art but knew that artists didn’t make much money, so I landed on fashion design. I figured I still get to create, even if clothes didn’t mean that much to me. However, I did spend a lot of time throughout my childhood with my godmother who was a very talented seamstress. I was always amazed by her ability to whip up many of my Halloween costumes.
I attended Columbia College Chicago for Fashion Design and graduated in 2011 with my BFA. I moved back home from Chicago to St. Louis because the snow and wind were not for me and missed many of my friends and family here in my hometown. Shortly after school, I worked for a local apparel company in the technical design department. My role focused mainly on taking the designer’s ideas and sketches and translating that into information that a factory would need to create the first fit and ultimately the garment you see in stores.
Extremely excited to be working in a field that I went to school for and over time became very passionate about it. I learned as I got older that I loved being able to problem solve creatively and this role filled that void for me for many years – 8.5 to be exact. However, the artsy side of me took a back seat during that time and I started to feel the effects of that in the last couple of years at my first apparel industry job.
2020 started with a bang as it did for most with the pandemic and I was furloughed from my job. The very next day after that call, I grabbed whatever brushes, watercolors, and paper I had from college and set up shop at my dining room table, and started painting. Still lives, portraits and architecture – I was painting almost every day! I was officially let go from my job in July of 2020. Sharing my work on Instagram, I received A LOT of feedback that I should consider selling my work.
October 2020, I opened up my Etsy shop, and created my own Instagram and TikTok account for my art! I mostly work in watercolors, selling originals and prints of my pieces. I work in series because some things from childhood never change, I get bored painting the same thing. I’ve done some commission work, a handful of makers markets, and have met so many inspiring people along the way!
July 2021, I started as a full-time employee at another local apparel company, managing their product lifecycle software (still need to engage my creative problem-solving skills). I’m a girl who can never land on one thing, so it’s no surprise I’ve gone from fashion design, technical design, and now software. It’s been one hell of a ride – but art will forever be the constant I need to feel whole!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the biggest struggles have been the battle with myself.
I would say this is the struggle for most creatives. Fear, control issues, constant comparisons to other artists, and a little friend that so many of us are familiar with, imposter syndrome. I’m the type of person who likes to know the outcome of any situation and if I don’t I am paralyzed with fear and easily become overwhelmed with how to proceed.
I’m a perfectionist to a degree and when I choose to pursue a new idea, I easily over-research the whole thing to the point of fear and feeling incapable of pulling it off. Imposter syndrome loves this because then the question is “Who do you think you are?” I caught myself falling into this pattern when deciding that I was going to go through with selling my work.
Being unemployed, I had the time to do this and knew if I didn’t, I could be missing out on a huge opportunity. I knew this would be fun and I knew it would keep me true to who I am. I decided to just start. Stop researching and just do. I’ve learned throughout my life that fear of failure and the need to be successful at everything, take away the joy and fun that I feel when I engage in all my creative endeavors.
In high moments of anxiety, I’m learning to flip the script – Be kind, don’t compare yourself to other artists, and be inspired by them and their work. Have fun and do what brings you joy, regardless of what anyone says. Dive in, head first, with no clue or sight of the end result. Be proud of your accomplishments.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I paint! In a general sense.
I specialize in watercolors but I do love to throw in an oil or acrylic painting on a whim. I’ve heard from many other artists who prefer acrylics and oil, that the patience you need for watercolors is an insane amount because of the layering and the time it takes to dry between each layer. I always find this hilarious to hear because I’m not a very patient person! But, layering is what I love and appreciate this the most about watercolors.
It’s super forgiving and there are so many techniques to learn with this medium. I started off this journey selling my work on Etsy with a door series. Architecture from all over the world is something I truly adore. The colors, the history behind those colors, and the texture from being around for centuries give each door its own personality. I moved into farm animals from there.
I’ve been an animal lover my entire life (and have wanted a farm for a long time), so it was no surprise to my family and friends – but this series became very popular among my followers. Each animal you could tell had its own personality and story and I had given them names to match. Names like Jesse, Cedric, Keith, and Calvin. I’d reach out to friends to help me name them, and occasionally I would turn to my stories on Instagram to get people’s thoughts. Who doesn’t love to name an animal?!
I then gave it a go with landscapes and cityscapes. Landscapes were a challenge for me. I had to reach far back into the many hours of Bob Ross I’ve watched throughout the years and remind myself of the process to create a successful landscape. Still, it didn’t bring much joy. I learned that I preferred working on larger scales and that green is the absolute worst color to ever exist. Extremely surprised, as I love to be out in nature – I thought it would be easy and become a new favorite of mine.
I quickly shifted this idea of painting around the world with doors and cityscapes to something more local. Choosing all of my favorite spots in the St. Louis area became very clear and almost a slap in the face of “How did you not think of this sooner?!” Over time, it’s always these three that I tend to come back to in some shape or form. And through time, I’ve seen myself grow as an artist by releasing control in my paintings and overcoming the things I thought I didn’t like – like green and smaller pieces of work.
I’ve adapted this very illustrative style to my artwork that you will see is imperfectly perfect. Colors will never be an exact match, the perspective will be wonky and inaccurate and when I get back to portraits, the proportions will be all over the place. This is the piece that I’m the proudest of. Claiming my style and knowing that this is me and I love to paint in this way.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Just start. I know that sounds easier said than done and if you have high functioning anxiety, like myself, it’s literally the hardest thing. Little steps each day are still getting you to where you want to be. Celebrate those tiny moves. You’re further along than you were yesterday, or 5 days ago.
Social media loves to make you feel like if you’re not making big moves, then it’s not worth celebrating, that you’re not doing enough, that you’re not worthy to even start this business or whatever it is that you want to begin. If I’m only able to start a sketch for the day, that’s a win! Learning on the go and f*cking up along the way – makes coming out on the other side feel 10x more rewarding.
Be kind to yourself. This I still struggle with but know that kindness is what helps me move forward. There are moments when I just don’t feel like painting, I don’t feel like engaging or anything that relates to my art and the business. This is absolutely ok. Beating yourself up for taking a mental day or month is not fair to you. The moment you start to prioritize the likes, comments, and the need to please others will make this journey unsustainable.
The art blocks for me happen the most when I’m no longer enjoying what I’m doing and I’m more concerned about the things that didn’t get me started in the first place. My art still matters at the end of the day because I do it for myself. Embrace the moments of stillness – inspiration lives there.
Contact Info:
- Email: sammdavisart@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SammDavisArt?ref=search_shop_redirect
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammdavis.art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sammdavis.art
