Meet Sam Ross | Visual Artist

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

Hi Sam, why did you pursue a creative career?
It was truly a coin toss when I was a kid; either be someone who lives at home in their parents’ basement and plays video games, or pursue a creative career. Thankfully the coin landed on creative.

All joking aside, life would be dull if I did not pursue my desires. I loved creating from the get go. It’s an innate instinct that comes from the silent, benign voices within. For me a blank canvas is a world of opportunity, a place where anything is possible. It’s a way for me to communicate a feeling or message to an audience. There’s nothing else quite like it. The power of creating at my fingertips, making something from nothing, breathing life into what was not there before, is all very appealing to me. Endless possibilities abound. I’m eager to see what I’ll be creating when I’m older, and hopefully, wiser.

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 suppose I’m most proud that I haven’t come across any of my art in the landfill. Although, one never knows if this day will come. My fingers are crossed!

I’m self-taught and have pursued perfecting my craft while upholding professional standards. I began when I was younger, locked away in my bedroom, struggling through teaching myself how to manipulate the paint. There were many times of frustration when I wanted to walk away from what I was working on. Thanks to my dad’s encouragement, self-guilt not to waste material, and not allowing something to win over me, I persevered until I was content with the piece. This discipline gave me confidence in what I’m able to do.

My artwork ranges from 8″x10″ acrylic paintings to 35′ wall murals – this being the largest and most recent piece, located at SweetWater Brewing in Fort Collins. Murals are a new realm I’ve gotten into lately, and I have some experience to help back it – about 5 years of residential house painting and drywall finishing. I believe this knowledge and set of skills are essential to do murals. Although, I consider myself more of a studio artist rather than a muralist, being the majority of my work is easel. These studio paintings are typically commissioned portraits of houses, and often the customers give them as gifts. I love creating my own paintings as well, but I’m always honored when someone selects me for an artistic need. After all, there are a lot of other talented artist out there to choose from. It’s also very rewarding when a previous customer refers someone to me. This assures me that I’m doing something of value.

Two of the best lessons I’ve learned are “go with your gut feeling”, unless it’s for a quadruple scoop of Ben & Jerry’s, and “don’t be lazy”. At the end of the day I always feel best when I can reflect on having been productive.

For over 15 years I’ve been pursuing a creative existence. I feel I’ve only nibbled the edge of the cake for what’s possible in life. I’m excited to see what else I can offer and become involved in going forward.

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.
A lot of adventures can be had from chilling on the couch and throwing down on some PS4, but the great outdoors holds endless adventures and refills my happiness meter. A visiting friend will find that we’ll do anything but sit on our butts.

Assuming it’s summertime, Rocky Mountain National Park is a must on my list; full of gawking, unprepared tourists, awe-inspiring scenery, an abundance of trails and some adorable chipmunks and elk. After a couple days of hiking and camping there, we’d grab some grub at Jim and Byrd’s restaurant in Estes Park. With our bellies full we’d stroll old town to blend in as tourists. The following day we’d hit Celestial Seasonings in Boulder, then hop on down to the Redrocks Amphitheater for a concert. To rest our minds and allow our ears to recover, the next 2 days would be a casual beer crawl to some of the incredible breweries in Fort Collins by way of biking the trails, especially along the Poudre River. We’d also meander the awesome Old Town, hitting up Pinball Jones, Coopersmith’s Pub for pool and food, and fit in time for an eclectic art experience at Swampgas and Gossamer. Day 6 would be a sunrise hike to the top of Horsetooth Rock followed by mellow paddle boarding below it on Horsetooth Reservoir. The last day of the trip would be a hike to the top of a 14er for spectacular views of the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. If this doesn’t end our friendship, then nothing will.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Although it’s difficult not to revere Spongebob and Pee Wee Herman as my idols and inspiration in life, I’d be lying if I didn’t give the most credit to my parents, especially my dad, Don Ross. He has been very conducive in encouraging my direction in art. Outside of him being a role model, especially in his later, ongoing career as a visual artist, he gave me the right amount of input and motivation as I found my own way. In addition to this, I also had the opportunity of starting an art gallery with my family in a culturally deprived city. Through much physical labor of restoring a historical downtown building in Deming, NM, we arrived with a gem of an outlet for those seeking a cultural fix. The gallery boasted an oasis of talented work from many regional artists whose work inspired, motivated and moved many, including myself. They ranged from novice to renowned, lifelong artists. While running this business, we also offered top notch picture framing. This gave me an additional hands-on skill and further engrossed me in a world of art. All of this had a profound impact on who I am today, and none of this could have been possible without my dad!

I’d also like to give credit to my family, friends, lovely wife, Lee Marmon (photographer), and Raj Rawat and his book “Find Your Everest Before Someone Chooses It For You”. And yes, Pee Wee Herman.

I also wouldn’t be anywhere without all the wonderful patrons of my work! Thank you all so much!!!

Website: www.samrossart.com

Instagram: @samross_art

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