Meet Samantha Reynolds | Artist & Small Business Owner

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

Hi Samantha, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Life will throw one road block after another at you and it will seem easier to give up, but keeping in mind the fulfillment that you get from your passion will allow you to persevere through hard times. I try to take every occasion where things don’t pan out the way I hoped as a learning opportunity and a chance for growth. For me, going through these rough patches as a creative can be discouraging and take away motivation to work, but I keep in mind that these creative outlets allow me to share my voice. I like to imagine that my art can resonate with somebody else, creating a bond, a feeling of I’m not alone in this world and others are going through it with me. Sometimes the feelings of inadequacy for “not doing enough” will creep in but it’s important to remember everything you have done so far and not diminish your accomplishments.

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 like to describe my studio as a crow’s nest: found items, shiny things, trinkets and sentimental objects weave their way into my work creating tactile mixed media paintings, collages and fiber works unique to the experience they represent. I graduated from Cal State University Long Beach in 2018 with a BFA in drawing and painting. While working on my degree I rediscovered the childlike wonder I had for experimenting with different material and started to implement a collage-like approach in my creative process. My works draw from a variety of subject matters such as memories, dreams, familial stories, mysticism, history and lore. I look for enchantment in the ordinary and taking overlooked objects and giving them a new life is like infusing my art with magic. Shortly after graduating from CSULB, I was showing works, getting free-lance jobs as a scenic painter and was starting to figure out my career path as an artist. My grandmother became ill during this time and I volunteered to be her full time caregiver. My grandmother and I were extremely close so I was happy to take on this responsibility. She was an accomplished Batik artist herself, and taught me many different craft forms like embroidery and watercolor which I use in my art today. She would take us on excursions to museums and did a lot to encourage and nurture my creativity. I believed that stepping into a caregiver role would be a gift of extra time, unfortunately she declined rapidly and I was not prepared for the level of care she needed.
It was an extremely intense situation and for a period of time afterwards, it was extremely difficult for me to create. It felt like I had lost my artistic voice.I started to work a 9-5 job and even though I was financially stable I was extremely unhappy. I made the leap to focus on my mental health which helped me realize how much I needed to make art for myself. I began to process my experience of being a loved ones caregiver and started a new body of work.The growing pains of my perspective on family changing as dysfunctional dynamics unraveled, and the grief around watching my Grandmother decline were at the heart of this series.
One painting in this body of work that was cathartic to work on is titled “ We Gathered Memories Like Dust” It depicts a corner of the “pinkest room” in Grandma’s house that my sister and I used to love spending time in as children. It was a place where our Grandmother would let us dress up in her fine attire and entertain our imaginations. When I was her caregiver I stayed in the pink room and during this time everything felt like it had been uprooted. I chose to take a picture of my sister and I as kids in that room and included it in the painting where the mirror is. Rot and vines creep into the space to symbolize the passage of time, rosy days wilting away and the mourning of those moments that have since passed.

Eventually I left my job to pursue a creative career full time. I opened up commissions and have had the honor to create pieces for people that capture moments or feelings they wish to hold onto. The furthest I’ve sent a commission to was to Berlin, where the client wanted a painting that reminded her of her childhood home in India. I had a number of other income streams from teaching private art lessons, returning to scenic painting and I began to work for an amazing vegan bath and body company, Forest Nymphs where I’m able to use my skills as an artist on making handmade products.
This gave me the energy and inspiration to make my own website that I use as a portfolio, have a form for commissions, and also as a storefront where I sell original paintings and other handmade items that I’ve created, like stickers, hand painted boxes, pins and fiber sculptures.

The type of work I’m used to is so physical that tackling my website was a huge learning curve. Figuring out how to make a functional website that also served as a storefront gave me the confidence in learning other new skills.
I started to teach myself how to use other digital programs and realized I could translate my collage-like approach digitally to make designs that explore some of my other interests like humorous images depicting historical figures or animals.
I decided to open an Etsy store front where I exclusively drop ship products with my digital designs on them. I wanted to make my designs accessible and functional that could work on a variety of products such as cups, journals, apparel and prints. The first design that I made using historical imagery was a shirt meant for just me and my friend to wear as a joke when we saw SIX the Musical. I thought it would be funny to use the Hans Holbein painting of Henry VIII surrounded by the portraits of his six wives with text reading “More Wenches, More Trifles”. I never planned to list it, but I got so many compliments on it at the show that I decided to put it on Etsy and it was a hit!

On the fourth of July in 2023 my world was turned upside down again. My partner was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I was so distraught and shocked from his diagnosis, it felt like we were in a living nightmare. We were extremely fortunate that the oncologist on site at the hospital had contact with a Doctor at City of Hope who specializes in his form of Leukemia. His treatment began quickly and was extremely rigorous but his medical team made us feel optimistic and reassured.
During this time my art and small business took a back seat. My priority shifted to supporting my partner. His treatment and health were my main focus and I learned from my previous care-giving experience that taking breaks and pivoting your priorities doesn’t equate giving up. My job was and still is to support and advocate for my partner. After achieving full remission, he underwent a stem cell transplant which was extremely taxing on him physically. He’s been so resilient and I’m so grateful to say that he is in a much better place now, although his journey still has a way to go.

Even though I haven’t been as active with my business I’ve still kept my online shops open and continue to create when I can. Now that my partner is in a better spot with his health, I’m able to dedicate more time to my practice and my business. I’ve been creating as a way to process this last year and I have a lot of exciting projects coming up that I can’t wait to share.
If there’s anything I’ve learned it’s that this life is such a gift and it’s important to find time to do the things you love. It’s also okay to take breaks from those things or reevaluate your priorities and goals when life throws twists and turns your way. As long as you’re pursuing your dreams in any capacity, you’re on the right path.

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 would start with some beach activities. Either the Santa Monica Pier for rides, Bolsa Chica Beach for a bonfire or a hike near Crystal Cove. There are so many amazing museums so depending on their interests we’d head to either LACMA, The Broad, The Getty Center or the Getty Villa. I’m also a huge fan of the Natural History Museum and the Griffith Observatory. If we’re in the Griffith Park area we might even go on a little hike on one of the trails or explore the abandoned zoo. I’d also show them around downtown Long Beach. We could explore Shoreline Village or the Aquarium of the Pacific and afterwards grab some pizza and beer from The Fourth Horseman and pop into the Dark arts Emporium. Ice Cream from Long Beach Creamery is a definite must! We could end the day by walking down Seal Beach and watching the sunset over the pier.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My good friend Katie Little, owner of Little Bit of Sun, has not only been an amazing friend but a major support in encouraging me to get my small business off the ground. Her resin art and handcrafted products are made with a lot of love and spread messages of positivity and happiness!

I also want to shout out Silvana Marroche the owner of Forest Nymphs Vegan Bath and Body. Her products aren’t only visually stunning but are handcrafted with only the best quality ingredients and skilled craftsmanship.

And last but not least I want to dedicate this shoutout to my life partner, and muse Nicolas Amyx, who’s fought so hard this last year to be where he is today.

Website: https://www.samanthareynoldsart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthareynoldsart/

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

Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrafterOfCuriosities