Samantha Maree
Samantha Maree is an Atlanta-based abstract artist who received a B.F.A in Art Education from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA, and an M.A. in Fine Art Painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA. Throughout her career as an artist and educator, she has helped students gain recognition for their works in competitions such as the Scholastic Art & Writing Competition, the All-County Art Competition in Clayton County, the All-State Art Symposium, and the Governor’s Honors Program.
She has also continued to demonstrate the importance of remaining actively engaged in the artist community by exhibiting her own works in local exhibitions such as the Castleberry Hill Loft Tour, a CanvasConvos Art Show and Panel Discussion, and the Pin-Up Show & Sale at the Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia (MOCA GA).
She is currently working on creating a body of abstract paintings that incorporate mixed media processes and techniques. Working in this way allows her the freedom to express herself in ways that are authentic to her own thought processes and creativity.
She prides herself in captivating her audience through her elite artistry, transparency, and vulnerability. Through writings and works of art, she aspires to utilize her unique gift of encouragement paired with her artistic talent to bring joy to all whose life her work touches.
Artistic Statement
“As an empath, I tend to feel everything, and I often find myself carrying both the joys and the weights of others. Because of this, it is imperative that I find ways to get back to my center and recharge so that I can fulfill my life’s purpose. I am happy to know that I’ve found that in abstract painting...it is here that I am most at peace. In this space is where my love for intuitive painting was born..."
I began to have a fascination for abstract art in my early college years, being pulled in by the peaceful blue hues and textured brushstrokes in the paintings of Jeff Erickson, and the soft tones in the works of Helen Frankenthaler. Still, I never saw myself as an abstract artist. I would try it out, but it rarely made sense because I could not seem to resolve how to put my thoughts on canvas in a non-objective way. I made several attempts at it, but I mostly succumbed to mere admiration of the abstract work of others.
My current journey with painting in the abstract came from a need to feel freer and to explore other ways to communicate my thoughts and feelings. Admittedly, it was also a way to prove a former professor wrong who tried to convince me to stick to realism because “there wasn’t anywhere else for [me]to go with [my] abstracts.” I was always aware of my ability to draw directly from observation, as it was something I had been doing since I was a young girl. I had the natural talent as well as the traditional training; but I wanted something different, something fresh, and something challenging that would inspire me to keep pushing myself beyond what I had always known. I wanted to learn to be ok with change because my life as I was experiencing it was ever-changing and unstable. I was excited to have discovered a new way of expressing all the many thoughts that took up space in my head in new ways outside of speaking about it.
Painting in the abstract brought me back to a space of healing and confidence after experiencing turbulence in my life. It brought me to a space where I KNEW that no matter the course it took, the ending was going to be just as beautiful, if not more, than the journey itself. I am learning to let go of rigorous routines, schedules, and perfectionism and just flow through the practice of abstract painting. I always know the end goal; vivid images fill my mind with every mark and brushstroke. I tap into faith and trust that the abilities I have been blessed with will order my steps and lead me to a desirable ending.
I now desire to work in the abstract because it feels the most natural to me. It very much reminds me of the way life takes what I present to it and forms something beyond what I could have ever imagined. It is often uncomfortable, constantly evolving, and imperfect. But in the end, it creates an image that reminds me that life itself is beautiful and precious, even with its twists and turns. In a world where structure and order are glorified over a more natural flow of things, I have learned to value abstraction as a means of relinquishing control, being more accepting of the process, and being just as excited about the journey as I am the result. My desire is to help bring us all back to the natural.
This collection is entitled Renewed Strength, and it speaks to my journey in life thus far; to my evolution from wanting order and perfection to the desire to allow life to flow; to my ability to rise above situations that would have left me feeling defeated without being able to paint on a consistent basis; to my desire to tell my story with visuals; and to the strength I found during some of my most difficult seasons. Painting during those times gave me the strength that I needed to effectively transition into single motherhood as a full-time working adult and the inspiration to create a body of work that effectively expresses my thoughts. Having the ability to use my paintings to share my testimony to what can be overcome is one of my life’s greatest joys.
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