Meet Sam Hiegel: Resin Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Hiegel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
This is such a whimsical question because the idea of starting my own business really came to life organically. I never set out to sell my work, but to create it at a time when I needed a little extra joy and connectivity with my artistic side. As a military family, we were stationed far away from our home and I took to painting and creating as a way to feel more connected to those places I missed and the people I love – specifically the ocean. As I continued designing and researching how to work with resin, I thought I would post a photo on social media of what I was working on…and it all began falling into place. I received messages about people purchasing my work, requests for specific commissioned projects, and encouragement from my community to keep going. 2.5 years later my accidental dream developed into Sam + Sea Artistry – creating original functional art and homewares that have been enjoyed by thousands of families across the country!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The most therapeutic place in the entire world, for me, is the ocean. The way it reminds me of peace, joy, nostalgia, and freedom is something that has made a life-long impact on my work. Life moves so fast, and those family trips I took with my parents and siblings to the ocean seem like a distant memory now – but as soon as I smell that salty air it brings me right back to when I was 14. Walking out on the pier and looking down as if you were floating right over the water. It is where I fell in love with my husband – on a windy day while we were camping with our Jeep on the beach years ago. I’ll never forget the way the stars looked over that nighttime water, and the sounds of the waves crashing in are enough to drown out everything but that moment, right then and there. So I wanted to create reminders of some of my favorite moments in my life by designing beach scenes and seascapes for others to cherish. I even take sand and shells collected from different beach getaways and incorporate them into my work as a way to freeze some of these memories forever and ever. Ive had customers send me shark teeth they’ve collected from vacations with loved ones who have since passed on, and I design seascapes with these treasured mementos – so they can always cherish those memories.

Getting to this point has not been easy but it has been rewarding. I’ve learned that even if you’re scared to start…just start. I remember researching this medium (which is pretty tricky once you start out) and thinking “there’s no way I can do this…”. It seemed out of my reach. And one day, I guess I just felt courageous enough to buy some supplies, clear a little corner on my kitchen table and give it a try. I failed countless times and felt like throwing in the towel but I suppose I just kept revisiting every so often and tried again. Nearly three years later I have my systems in place, my studio up and running, and I am eager to share this dreamy brand with the world!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d have to say The Strand House on Manhattan Beach. We spent a gorgeous weekend enjoying this area and I have to say these are the best cocktails I’ve ever had and the views are absolutely breathtaking.

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?
I have to say the Town of Southern Pines, NC – and specifically Lisa Zimmerman of Oak & Oliver Candle Co. When we were stationed at Fort Bragg, NC Lisa invited me to be a part of an online market leading up to Mother’s Day 2020. She worked tirelessly to give creatives in the area a platform (right at the beginning of the pandemic) to share their work with the hopes of rallying the community to shop small + shop local. I have to say that community really lifted me up with constant positivity, encouragement, and support. I was invited to local markets to share my work, small businesses like Against the Grain Shoppe in Southern Pines hired me to be a local vendor …there were countless ways this town shaped my growth and supported my dream. I’ll never forget that valuable chapter in my life.

Website: www.samandseaartistry.com

Instagram: @samandseaartistry

Facebook: @SamAndSeaArtistry