Meet Samantha Redfern | Artist

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

Hi Samantha, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have always been a very driven individual. Fresh out of university I knew I wanted to make money and start putting roots down to forge a successful future. My first job was literally knocking on doors. What appealed to me about this role was the possibility that you could do very well if you hit your targets. However, English weather isn’t the optimum condition for outdoors working. Next up I secured an office role as a Recruitment Consultant, before Field Sales and lastly Business Development. I loved not just having a basic income. If you worked hard there were big financial rewards up for grabs. The security of an average 9-5 doesn’t appeal to me. I also never really liked having a boss. I like to be able to get on with my work without being micro managed.

When we moved to Singapore it felt the right time to start my own business. It started out as commission work for pet portraits and people’s kids etc. Which was fine. However, it wasn’t fulfilling me as much as I thought it would. Thats when I decided to reach for the paints and my life as an artist really took off.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been making art for a long time, I studied art for my whole education, including my degree. However, I was more drawn to photography than painting. My dad had given me an old SLR camera and I.spent hours walking around Bath (UK) photographing all that interested me. I’d then spend hours in the darkroom developing my films and photographs. I think photography gave me a critical eye and a skill for composition. I really looked at the work and take it all in. I now paint completely from memory because I instinctively soak my environment in.

When I started painting it was an exercise in finding my identity. I painted flowers and seascapes developing a looser more intuitive way of putting paint on canvas. I joined instagram as a way of finding a community and this drove me to create more and more art “for content”. I’d paint where ever I could (around juggling a baby and two small children). It became an obsession. The more I painted the more I needed to and the more confident I became.

I networked with the art community here in Singapore which gave me exposure and reassurance that the work I was making was appealing to other people too. The more I travelled and researched the Asian art scene the more inspired I became. I felt emboldened to experiment and try new styles. My graffiti inspired work was not a commercial success but it was invaluable in terms of my development as an artist. I think my previous life in sales has taught me to keep going even when you face a series of “no’s”. The next one could be a yes so keep going and keep up the optimism.

If you make enough art you will start to develop a distinctive style. This doesn’t mean recreating that same painting over and over. You can paint many subject matters and try different practices such as screen printing, ceramics etc. I am always exploring and it gives me that excitement to keep making art. I think I have managed to reach a point where my art style is pretty distinctive. I enjoy making happy artwork that lifts peoples spirits. To me that really means a lot. Especially in a world that can feel emotionally heavy. If I can offer a little respite from that through my work it is totally worth it.

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?
I have lived in Singapore for over nine years and although it’s very small there is a lot to do. My favourite place is the Unesco World Heritage Botanical Gardens. I live close by and I could never get bored of them. However, if you did want to feel you were a little more away from it all the Macritchie Nature Reserve is a must. If I had exhausted you from all the hiking we could go and spend an afternoon at the rooftop pool of Hotel Jen in Orchard. A refreshing salad and maybe a cheeky cocktail by the pool. You will never go hungry in Singapore, I could take you for dinner at the worlds highest craft brewery (Level 33) or we could go to Chjimes for some alfresco dining in this old heritage convent turned outdoors eatery. Dempsey Hill is also a must for food and drinks, set in a charming location.
If you want a little fun and adrenaline we can head to Sentosa Island to visit Universal Studios, perhaps some indoor kart racing or paddle boarding on Siloso Beach.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I will give a shoutout to my husband. He has been my number on cheerleader and has never once complained about the mess I make once. He’s also never said a single discouraging thing about my work. Not that I couldn’t handle it but I find that impressive. He also understands a career in art is a long game. Some find overnight success but for the majority we do what we love without any major monetary success.

Website: https://www.samantharedfern.com

Instagram: samantharedfern.fineart