Meet Sam Hauser | Artist

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

Hi Sam, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
The soul is what matters to me most. Mine, yours, the lands. I feel like we’re all hurting. I think that what we are choosing to invest in as a society right now is leading us further and further away from feeling content and living a present, purposeful life. Art has a way of getting right to the core of a matter. I use lies like form and perspective to cut straight to the soul and, hopefully, ignite some truth or beauty found there. I wish every person, every woman, could feel safe in their body, in their environments. I wish every person felt connected to each other and to the universe.
My hope beyond any other is that the viewer feels presence when they stand before my work. I hope they feel that moment, that exact one, and feel the fire of their spirit in their soul. I hope that my soul, laid out in pigment, speaks to theirs. I hope they feel the spirit and wonder found in the land. I hope they choose to protect it.

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.
My art is all about capturing spirit, the spirit of the land and the spirit of my soul. I use color as a vehicle for connection and transcendence. Through intense color palettes and layering techniques, I explore my experience living in the western U.S. in an expressionistic style. I wander through these Colorado mountains collecting inspiration, collecting life. Then I turn that into art. I am a traditionally trained oil painter but I also work in batik silk painting and my unique combination of the two. My palette is aggressively feminine and my work always holds a great sense of movement and time. I juxtapose finely rendered forms against abstract color fields to activate the subconscious. Layers of color push and pull, at points realistic and at points abstract, to create dynamic relationships within the medium. Like time stacks to create the present, these layers amass to develop botanicals, landscapes, and figures.
Being an artist is easy. Making money from it is not. I decided to become a full-time artist, and starting a business just so happened to be a side effect. Before Covid, I made a nice little living working for a local farm to table restaurant and event space. It was easy, repetitive, and safe.
Covid hit, world flipped, and I had to reevaluate how I was spending my life. A spine injury in early 2020 plus the lockdown made me become really discerning about how and where I spend my time. I went to art school and had always kept up my painting practice. There seemed like no better time to bet on myself. I started doing group exhibitions and applying for art awards and grants. I was a finalist for the 2022 Luxembourg Art Prize International Competition. It all really snowballed from there!
If you want to be a professional artist, the path is not easy. I went to one of the top painting schools in the country and even there they say “you’ll have to teach.” Despite that, I’ve found the path I want to take no matter how rocky or hard to climb. Consistency is most important. Consistently showing up in my studio, doing the work, and seeking new opportunities. Think about where you want to be, really think about it. Then every day try to take at least one little step toward that goal. Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s impossible. I want it all.

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?
Hiking is the most important, or snowboarding in the winter. I love Rainbow Lakes. It’s one of the best spots in Colorado to me. I have a lot of my own “secret” hiking trails that I will not list here for fear they will become overcrowded. Breckinridge or Steamboat are my favorite ski towns. You MUST go to Strawberry hot springs if you’re ever in Steamboat. At night, you’ll never fail to catch a falling star! In Denver, the Botanic gardens or the MCA are must visits. Denver is getting a bit overcrowded for me.
Here in Boulder, the best restaurants are AOI Sushi and Blackbelly, hands down. I love a good Colorado farmer’s market in the summer!

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’d like to dedicate this story to my grandmother, Judith Brien. She is a ceramicist, master gardener, and all-around badass. Thank you for always encouraging me and being my safe place.

Website: https://www.samhauserart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samhauser.art/

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

Other: Tiktok: @samhauserart