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Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019
Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

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Meet The Artist: Sam Goetsch

THE BEGINNINGS

When did you first discover your passion for art and how did your journey begin?

I first discovered my passion for art at an age too young to remember. I’ve been a creative person for as long as I’ve known. It began with doodling and coloring books and eventually I got into art classes in school. After high school I took a bit of a break from art and it wasn’t until my final year of college that I picked it back up. I tried painting for the first time and fell in love. Now, it’s been almost 3 years since then and I’m still full steam ahead!

How did you improve? Are you self taught or did you have any more training following school?

I’m a self-taught artist, driven by curiosity and a constant desire to improve. Ever since I picked up painting again, it’s become an obsession. With every piece, I challenge myself to try something new and learn from the process. The phrase “practice makes perfect” truly reflects my art journey. When I look back at work from just a year ago, it’s almost unrecognisable as mine because of how quickly my style has evolved.

You’re renowned for your bright and bold style of painting- how did you develop this signature style?

I’ve always been drawn to bold colors and strong contrast in art. Over time, that influence naturally found its way into my own work. The more I create, the more my style narrows in on what I love: imagery that pops off the wall and makes you stop for a second. That’s always the goal with my art.

Similarly, how does painting in both watercolour and oil paint affect your style, and how do you balance the time between the two?

It really just comes out of my hands, I don’t overthink it too much. I love oils and watercolors for completely different reasons, and each medium gives me something the other can’t. Oils pop off the canvas with their rich, saturated colours, making them perfect for bold, vibrant pieces or concepts that need more depth and revision. Since oils are so forgiving, I tend to use them for more complex ideas that might require adjustments along the way.

Watercolor, on the other hand, is all about the feeling for me. It’s peaceful, freeing, and almost meditative. The way the pigments flow and layer creates effects that no other medium can replicate, and I think the transparency adds a kind of beauty that’s impossible to achieve any other way.

As for keeping a consistent style, I don’t consciously try to, it just happens. My approach, color choices, and the way I handle light naturally carry over, no matter the medium.

Do you have any artists that inspire you?

I have TONS of inspirations that I look to every day when making my own art. I love Edward Hopper, Norman Rockwell, Enoch Bolles, Scott Moore, Frances Tipton Hunter, Chris Hong, Will Rochfort, Amelia Jayne, I could go on and on.

GROWING AS AN ARTIST

What was the moment that you decided to take art more seriously?

I decided to pursue it as a career after I graduated from college. I have a degree in Economics that I don’t have much passion for, and compared to how I feel when I paint, it’s hard to want a 9-5. I still work a regular job, but I’m trying to make art a full-time gig. I think anything artistic as a job would be lovely, I just can’t do with the cubical finance jobs otherwise!

What challenges did you face when growing and how did you overcome these?

My perfectionism is one of my biggest challenges as an artist. Mistakes are a part of learning but it took a while for me to just learn THAT. Being patient with myself and having room for flopped paintings really helped me grow the most. Otherwise I’m sure marketing myself as an artist, like most others would say, is a never-ending challenge. Social media definitely makes it easier for us to show up but it’s still difficult knowing the best way to get yourself seen.

Did you have a particular break that helped establish your position as an artist or is it something that’s been built over time?

I think it’s been built over time. I suppose I had multiple ‘breaks’ since videos go viral and such. My first big blowup was over a series of mental health paintings I made to represent my personal struggles which others really resonated with. I think that was the first moment I realized I could make a life out of this. It was so touching to hear everyone’s stories and have a community like that to share those experiences with.

Do you have a favourite or specific painting that defined your artistic style? If so, could you describe the significance of the artwork?

My favorite painting is probably one of my earliest for just that reason. It’s one of the first oil paintings I made, which I’m not sure I would make now, but it’s of a bunch of eyes strung across the canvas by stretching skin. The eyes were all supposed to represent an emotion to show the significance of body language, even when isolated to a single feature like an eye. It definitely did not define my style because it’s a bit darker and more grotesque than I like to paint but it’s very sentimental to me and one of my favorites visually.

PAINTING INSIGHTS

Tell me about your painting process, how do you take this on?

If it’s a watercolor, it usually involves just cutting a piece of paper, or finding a sheet, then stretching it over my desk or a board. Once that’s dry, I sketch with my pencil, block out whites with masking fluid, and begin painting. I usually work wet-on-wet first to get general colors, shadows, and composition laid out, then I go in wet-on-dry for detail work. For an oil painting, I usually prep my canvas with a non-absorbent primer after sketching out my composition. Once thats dry, I work in sections from dark to light until I finish!

How do you source your painting references?

Most of my paintings are from images. I don’t have much of a production to make the scenes I want to paint. Typically, I piece together 3-4 images together to get a Frankenstein reference and then use that. All my images are from royalty free sites like Pexels or Unsplash.

Tell me about your art studio, how has this developed over time?

I don’t really have an art studio, more like an art corner, haha. Since I’ve always lived in apartments, my workspace has moved with me. At first, I was working at a small table in a really dark studio apartment with no lamp and terrible natural lighting. Then I had a bright white desk with beautiful natural light in my last place, and I think that’s when my accounts started to gain traction, partly because of the great sunlight I had for recording.

Last year, I moved back in with my parents after college, so now I’m working in their office, set up in the corner. The space is a little darker than I’m used to, but it’s been a great spot for creativity. I tend to be a bit cluttered and unorganized, so that’s just part of the process for me. I keep my large canvases and unused materials in a closet, and for finished paintings, I make sure they’re protected and stored safely in a tote. I don’t usually work on more than one painting at a time unless it’s a watercolor and an oil painting. I simply don’t have the room, and I’d probably forget to finish one if I had too many going at once.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Has social media ever influenced your artistic style of process?

Social media has influenced my art a great deal. I do think about how things will look on my feed and try to keep similar colors at least so there’s a level of cohesion. It’s a difficult balancing act for sure because it’s like making two forms of art and they have to align to do well. I’m trying to get more into the habit of putting the content second to prioritize my artist voice but it gets hard when you see numbers all day fluctuating and knowing your career depends on it.

How do you manage the balance between social media and painting? Do you ever feel time constraints when focusing on one too much?

As I mentioned, balancing social media and creating art is a tricky act. I don’t mind recording my process, but not every day is ideal for filming. Unlike other content creators who can batch content in one good weather day, art takes time to make. I have to create the work while also making sure the lighting is just right. The goal is to capture most of my painting process on camera, but it’s not always easy when there are conditions I can’t control.

 

 

Do you have any standout moments from your social media?

I am still very proud of my collaboration with Happy Egg Co USA. They’re a great company and respected me very much as a creative. I love the artwork I was able to make for them and am happy to have been able to partner with them!

Do you have any advice that you would give artists on how to grow their social media?

My main advice is just to be consistent. As long as you post everyday, or on a consistent schedule, the algorithm will eventually pick it up. Make sure your visuals are up to par as well. You don’t need fancy equipment or a fancy setup, just good angles and interesting lighting.

FUTURE PLANS

Do you have any cool painting projects for the future that you can share?

I want to make a collection to potentially have a solo show so I’ve been working on that so far this year.

How do you feel your social media content will change over the coming years?

I want to focus more on long form video content going forward. Although short form has been successful for me, the platforms don’t compensate their creators much. I want to diversify my income streams and also get more into the teaching side of art. I find a lot of fulfillment in helping others reach their artistic goals.

ARTIST TIPS AND TRICKS

What is the best advice that you received as an artist?

Do exercises. Exercises about composition, about lighting, value, about looseness, color, anatomy, ANYTHING. Small exercises helped accelerate my learning a lot by lessening the pressure from messing up an artwork.

How do you stay motivated during creative blocks?

To get out of creative blocks I either paint something new, change mediums, or I take a break altogether. I find my creative block comes from being almost too inspired and overstimulated by all the ideas of what I could do. Finding ways to organize your thoughts, and change up the normal pace help bring be back to focus.

How can new artists develop their unique style?

Save art that inspires you, take note of artists you like. Eventually you’ll see a pattern in that. Remember what about those artists/artworks you liked and try to implement it into your own art.

Tell me about how you developed your own colour palette to create such a bold and vibrant style

Funny enough, since I’m self taught I had no real idea about color theory when picking out my paint colors. I gravitate towards the same ones and my art professor in college even made fun of me, asking why I would choose Prussian Blue over Ultramarine or why I use Lemon Yellow over Cad Yellow. I think I just like the punchiness of those colors. My favorites are Prussian Blue, Lemon Yellow, Cad Red, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, and Paynes Gray.

Johnny Thompson

Johnny Thompson

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