Today we’d like to introduce you to Samara (Sam) Barks.
Hi Samara (Sam), please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Originally from Detroit, MI, my mother raised my siblings and me in a very creative environment. She is a fantastic artist. She was not only a seamstress, but a sculptor, a painter, and just an all-around creative person. She encouraged me to explore my artistic side when she noticed I had a knack for it.
With my mother’s steady encouragement and work ethic, those things lent themselves to the artist I am today. If she didn’t know how to do something, she worked at it and learned how. As a child, I felt like there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do. We’d always watch Saturday morning cartoons together. Mix that with a healthy dose of video games, and you have the foundation for my early art life.
My road to where I am professionally is a winding one. After college, my original goal was to work in the video game industry. I got degrees in media arts and animation but quickly found out that gaming wasn’t for me. So I took my 3D skills to product design and architectural visualization. That eventually led me to Houston and work in exhibit design and the oil and gas industry. After being laid off when that industry took a hit in 2016, I decided to strike out on my own and try being a full-time independent artist.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As many know, working for oneself isn’t an easy task. I ran into what many creatives deal with when first starting, building my brand and finding my voice. I find that’s an ever-continuing challenge. But I work on conquering that by constantly striving to create work that’s true to me first. If an audience finds it appealing enough to engage with it, that’s the bonus. The other challenges are things everyone faces, like finding and keeping clients, how to think of myself as a business, and how to navigate the financial side of being a working artist.
Another challenge is the balancing act between being labeled a fine or commercial artist. I work in both worlds but have an identity crisis when people ask me to choose which I am. I’m both. I create work that some have considered straddling the line of both. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My art mixes exaggerated realism with a cartoon and graffiti feel. The majority of my work lives in watercolors and inks, but I’ve recently added spray paint to my arsenal as well. I love to work in watercolors because it’s fluid and flexible. It has a lighter quality than my darker ink pieces, which tend to be more somber and macabre subjects.
Working on more large-scale murals led me to experiment with spray paint and its fast-drying capabilities. It allows me the freedom to achieve some of the same results as brushwork more efficiently and with fewer supplies.
I’m most proud of where I am now as an artist. I never thought I’d be able to make a living with my art when I was younger. I still stop sometimes and appreciate that I can do what I love and make a living with it. Some people never get to do that.
What were you like growing up?
I was a busy child. I was always drawing, or reading, or playing sports. Art and creativity were always a part of me. My mother is an artist, so we always did creative projects together. It was either sewing, sculpture, painting, or drawing. It was always something.
Contact Info:
- Email: Samarabarks@Mixedhues.com
- Website: https://www.mixedhues.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixed_hues/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MixedHues/
