Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Sampson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jennifer thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have always been interested in art and dreamed of pursuing it full-time, but it wasn’t until during the pandemic that I decided to take the first steps to building a professional art career. I think faced with the gravity of that event, a lot of people questioned their lives and the directions they had taken, and I was no different.

Jennifer, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a plein air painter living in Northern New York. While I’ve always painted, I got obsessed with plein air about five years ago during the pandemic and now paint outside as much as I can. I am an all-weather painter, which means I’m out there no matter what season it is or what precipitation is falling down. While I paint a wide variety of motifs, including those found in nature, urban landscapes are the most fun and satisfying to paint, maybe because they inherently have so much that I can improve upon.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

While I won’t go into details, I’ve had issues with mental health most of my life, sometimes to a debilitating degree. Learning how to manage that has been a journey in itself, and art has played a tremendous role. I have always felt the creative drive, but I have not always listened to or nurtured it. I’ve found that creating and painting is essential part of my mental health maintenance.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Plein air has helped me connect with people in ways I could never have imagined. It’s so niche that it has been relatively easy to find a lot of the plein air world through social media and then meet other artist in real life. I can also be among people when I’m painting outside but not have to be social (an introvert here), so I feel like I’m part of the community. When people see my work, they tell me stories about the locations, which to me are just random locations, but to them hold memories and meaning. I feel deeply satisfied when I am able to give dignity to a humble scene like a parking lot or a forgotten alley and help people see the beauty in the everyday.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jennifersampsonart.com
• Instagram: jennifer.sampson.art