Meet Samuel Austin | Architect and Watercolor Artist

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

Hi Samuel, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

Risk taking is an important part of making progress in my career. I learned at an early age that every action has risk and that the important thing is to know and understand the risk. Calculated risk taking is a natural component of my decision making process. In some ways it seems to be related to what other people consider luck. But it is not really luck. Really it is just a willingness to take risks and understand the potential down side.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an Architect and Artist. In many ways these two creative outlets support one another. Architecture is a group sport with clients, a builder, subcontractors and consultants and government . Painting is an individual sport. I can only do what I can only do. The interplay between these two interests works to maintain my sanity. Also each discipline informs the other. For example I take my love of building into the painting studio to solve real world problems of watercolor painting. One problem I had was I could not afford to frame my paintings. In addition with the frame comes UV protection which is very important in watercolor painting. I solved this by backing my watercolor paper with canvas and then building in a bamboo frame into the paper so that the paintings could hang without a frame. Then I researched coatings and final finishes which prevent uV degradation. The result had a quality that I would call sculptural . It was a very big hit. It also allowed me to do watercolor paintings outside the conventional size boundaries created by paper sizes. This is because the paper was glued to canvas. I could glue multiple sheets o paper to the canvas (of any size) hence no size boundary.. Painting also informes architecture. In painting I discovered an interest which I call the fabric of imperfection. My paintings celebrate the imperfection of everyday life. What does this mean. It means I paint with a nod to patina, grey hair scars and any other signs of survival. It also means I do not accept that any mark or erasure is a mistake. My paintings represent a process of creation and destruction which reveal the beauty which I think lies at the root of survival. It was not easy. But at my core I love what I do so I give myself permission to do it.

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.
I am a music freak so, we would attend some local music. Probably at the Boulder Theater or Etown ( which is a live radio show taping like a variety show with a music component. I am not a super foodie, but I Love mexican food so we would go to one of my normal haunts. Cannabis tourism is a big hit (pun intended). So definitely going to take them to the most awesome dispensary, Then if we had time, I would go to the mountains or even better the canyon country and see some ancient art I know of- semi local petroglyphs.

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?
My wife Claire Cherington and my Mother in Law Inal Cherington

Website: samuelaustinarchitect.com

Instagram: samuelaustinart