Meet Dani Michaux Samson | Independent Artist & Owner of Calico Flower Studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dani Michaux Samson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dani, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Dreams of starting a business brewed in my heart for quite some time, but it was really difficult as an artist to decide what shape I wanted my career to take. Every path was unique, and some were more eclectic than others. What was my focus? Gallery representation? Teaching? Online sales? Commissions? Exhibitions? Commercial art? Some combination of these? MFA expectations and six figures of debt can put a lot of pressure on a gal. After much consideration of my current resources, what I wished to contribute to the world, how I liked to work, and what truly brought me joy, I formed Calico Flower Studio. This studio was where my creative practice would take place, where I would make mixed media paintings and collages, where I would explore what I find interesting, beautiful, and important. I felt it was right for me to create my own opportunities. My practice has evolved since then, beyond simply selling my paintings and collages online. I conduct online workshops, design visuals for music artists, and I even produced a stop-motion music video that was released in April.

The idea to call my business Calico Flower Studio was in honor of my cat, Dahlia. In school, I had heard people refer to me as “the cat art person,” or something like that. At first, I was a little unsettled by it, because my work certainly holds more significance than simply an affinity for cats (although I won’t deny that I f***ing love cats). Domesticity, the relationship between my internal experiences and my external experiences, and how those manifest in the context of my home are at the heart of my practice. Naturally, my cat appears in much of my art. She is the keeper of my living space, a symbol of domesticity, content indoors yet curious about what’s out the window, providing me with plenty of food for thought and an abundance of joy. With all that said, she inspires much of my work, and a wise, beloved mentor advised me to really own that. So eventually I did, with no shame. I call Dahlia “my little calico flower,” because she is a calico cat, and her namesake is a flower. It is somewhat of a happy accident that my mixed media collage works could be thought of as bouquet arrangements of material, pieced together in asymmetrical, patch-like formations, much like a calico coat pattern.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work has become more expansive over time; however, my work generally stems from my mixed media collage practice. I’d have to say that I am most pumped about the fact that most of my materials are up-cycled. It’s not “trash” per se, but it’s material that would otherwise be unused, stored for goodness knows how long, or discarded. Most of my precious scraps are actually remnants from other projects – painted pieces of canvas, torn tissue paper, old paint palette sheets, extra fabric, paint chips, drawings, prints, and full-on collages. Other materials are encountered throughout my daily life – napkins, greeting cards, gift bags, doilies, envelopes, photographs, you name it. I think repurposing really speaks to the cyclical nature of our thought patterns as well as the routines and rituals that govern our lives at home.

Where I am today, professionally, is a long and winding road with years of confusion and many different detours. For the first time in my life, I feel really confident in the creative language that I’ve cultivated for myself. It feels uniquely me, and I love it. While this is true, I thoroughly enjoy growing and evolving this language over time. I’ve learned that my life and my art ebb and flow and intertwine. It’s a balancing act full of ups and downs, but with experience, I have felt more familiar with my center, even as it develops and changes.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This actually happened recently with an old friend of mine! We were both vaccinated, of course.

So, I’m actually new to L.A. – I’ve lived here about a year and a half now, so my “itinerary” for my friend included some things that were new to me, too!

This itinerary included…
LACMA
The beach (Santa Monica Pier area)
Point Dume (in Malibu)
A dispensary (most of my out-of-town friends have never seen a weed store)
Griffith Park
Blu Jam Cafe
Pablitos Tacos next to Circus Liquor

That’s pretty much it. Most of my time here has been during the pandemic, so it’s been tough to explore! I look forward to discovering more soon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh my gosh, I have to mention my Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) fam, where I endured two years of graduate school with some amazing folks.

My mom, dad, and brother, (Germaine, John, and Jeremy) who are endlessly supportive. Add to that my family-in-love, the Samsons!

Dahlia, who cannot read or use the internet, but is without a doubt my greatest muse. She teaches me much about what it means to be human. There’s nothing quite like our relationship.

Blake Armstrong and Lori Marchildon – I feel like a won the lottery finding friends like them so soon after moving to L.A. a year and a half ago.

Frank Gallo and Tom McGeoch, fellow Ohio natives who helped my husband and I settle into our new home in L.A. They are both artists and great friends.

Alyssa Mannis, who was another one of my very first friends in L.A.! She is one hell of a human who lifts people up, including artists like me, all the time. I also admire her talents in creative consulting.

Nick Samson, aka the music artist La Poré, aka my husband, my best friend, my creative collaborator, and just a caring, inspiring person whom I love very much.

There are so many others I could mention, including friends, family, and clients who continuously encourage me to keep doing my thing. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Website: www.calicoflowerstudio.com

Instagram: instagram.com/calicoflowerstudio

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-samson-7b233160

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calicoflowerstudio

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBOR9vxEJQnBRHYBmbiD8iA

Image Credits
Nick Samson