About Sam

I grew up in a creative home. My father was a commercial artist and my paternal grandfather and paternal great-grandmother owned and operated an upholstery school. From the creativity my father, grandfather, and great-grandmother had, I learned many things. As each had their primary art, each also had their non-primary art. My father loved to do leather work and made belts, holsters and other items. My grandfather was a sketch artist, while baking was my great-grandmother’s thing. Under my grandfather's direction, I upholstered my first piece of furniture at five years old. At age six, I apprenticed with my father for many years and learned to paint auction and realtor signs. By the time I was 18, I had written over two dozen original recipes and now I have enough original recipes to have my own cookbook. 

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As each of them had their passion, I had mine too. I discovered making jewelry and dove right in, and years later becoming a master wire sculptor. Besides wire, I also learned silver-smithing and lamp-working. This taught me I really love playing with fire. 

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In 2005, my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer, which caused me to pull back from making jewelry to care for my family.  My father encouraged and convinced me to return to jewelry making after becoming a widow, but after losing my father in 2011, jewelry lost its sparkle for me. I have had many pieces commissioned but it doesn't bring me the joy it once did. My father always said, “never let your art die with you, teach what you know”.  In 2012, I opened my own handmade gift shop, showcasing not only my work, but the work of some other very talented people. There, I taught classes.  I realized that I really loved teaching and sharing my joy for different arts and mediums.  Back then, I taught many jewelry classes.  Today my primary focus is teaching painting.  But it doesn't stop there I also teach floral design (years ago, I almost opened a florist but the timing wasn’t right for my family), calligraphy, sign painting, crochet, cake decorating and many other things (actually I doubt there are many mediums I don't work with). 

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In 2016, I decided to be more active about helping other people.  I started teaching acrylic painting with paint parties and I did them as fundraisers.  My fundraisers have helped many animal rescues, Relay for Life, a 4-H student traveling to be an exchange student, teachers to provide supplies for their classrooms, band students to help with the cost of instruments, Boy Scouts, gymnasts for competition fees, memorial funds, retirement parties and many other things.  Besides helping others, I have painted with many people as private parties.

In 2018, I started the High Class Hookers of New Carlisle.  We crochet for the homeless in Clark County.  We started by crocheting scarves for a couple years.  Then crocheted 300 hats in 2021 and 12 sleeping mats.  This progressed in making 400 cowls and 20 sleeping mats in 2022.  For 2023, we have decided to be more active with other people in our community and have been also crocheting for people in a few nursing homes.  We don’t want people to feel as if the world has forgotten them.  Our goal for 2023 also includes making crocheted stuffed animals for the children in the homeless shelters and 24 sleeping mats.  

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In September 2020, I went to Florida, took classes at the “Bob Ross” school and became a certified Bob Ross instructor. It was challenging but I enjoy helping people create their own masterpieces.  I learned many things about myself while learning oil painting, and would love to help you discover things about yourself and fall in love with oil painting as well.

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"Art is so relaxing."  You hear people say that all the time, but when you try, it never comes out as you intended and it is stressful.  That is because you are on the learning curve.  Come, take a class with Sam and advance yourself on the learning curve.  

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Thanks for reading,

Sam

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Many times I get asked if my children are artistic.  They are very artistic.  It runs in the family.

 

Take a look at my creative daughter's site.  She is very talented (proud momma moment).  www.Kylieandme.com  She makes things for your favorite family member, the dog.  Several of the fabrics she uses, she designed herself.  She also designs her own patterns for her items and has a coloring book that she made and had printed.  She also is a very good painter.

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My son is artistic as well.  He can paint and draw, but it is not his passion.  Although, I do have a fabulous painting that he gave me as a gift.;