About G. SAMPSON

I am an American female multidisciplinary artist.  I have traveled in (or through) every state in United States, lived in multiple states from Connecticut to Oregon, visited over forty countries and have lived and taught art in Oregon, Connecticut, Ohio, Malaysia, China and Austria for extended amounts of time.

Academically trained in the visual arts (1975-1981 and beyond) I have focused on strengthening my visual voice for over 40 years. I self-coined my work  ‘Social Expressionist Fusion’ and create with any material that suits the image or conversation: graphite, charcoal, pastel, oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, collage, montage, encaustic as well as various printmaking, assemblage (‘Amalgamations’) and sculptural methods.

I have been teaching internationally for the past 24 years (Malaysia, China, Austria) and recently completed my last year of teaching high school/International Baccalaureate Visual Art at the American International School, Vienna where I am thankful for the engagement, creative energies, play, humor, skills and youthful ideas of my students.

I have now started my career as a full time artist with landscape painter and wood carver, Jeff Audette. Our home and studio is in the small, high desert community, Wamic (Tygh Valley) Oregon, town of 74 people; a quiet place to contemplate life, the world and work on our art. Our Business is LONE BIRD- Studio 57.

THE BIRD is my guardian angel reflecting life’s blessings and challenges. Whether in nature or masked, the bird is the communicator of ideas bringing life’s issues and surrounding actions to the surface.

The STORY: Behind the surface of the BIRD, THE BALL and the CLOCK included in the artist statement:

ARTIST STATEMENT:

GINNY SAMPSON

artist: painter|mixed media|assemblage

 IMAGE ORIGINS

I am an American female, mother, sister, grandmother, friend, international visual art teacher and multidisciplinary artist, roles offering different lenses and perspectives that feed my art. Multiple life challenges in varied cultural and situational living spaces, educational opportunities as well as national and international travels have expanded image development.  Academic and independent explorations in the visual arts have focused, guided and strengthened my visual voice for over 50 years.

A VISUAL MEANS of COMMUNICATION and SHARING

I self-coined my work ‘Social Expressionist Fusion’ and create with any material that suits the image or conversation: graphite, charcoal, pastel, oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, collage, montage, encaustic as well as various printmaking, assemblage (‘Amalgamations’) and sculptural methods. My approach is a processing of thoughts and questions that evolve into conversations that matter through a visual dialogue between the methods and the materials. The images are fused; a gleaning of personal stories, ancestral revelations, observations, concerns, inner explorations and global awakenings. The ideas metaphorically explore thoughts, issues, questions and statements regarding reflections: family, death, relationships, loss, separation, greed, society, cultures, immigration, race, religion, politics and the environment.

 OBSESSIONS and DRIVING SYMBOLS

Variations of three significant symbols drive the search for answers in most of my images: the bird, sphere/circle, clock and other motifs like spirals, ladders, letters and words.

THE BIRD is like my guardian angel reflecting life’s blessings and challenging my beliefs. Whether in nature or masked, the bird acts as a reminer, an observer, communicator, inner spirit and guide exposing and elevating life’s questions, challenges, issues and surroundings to the surface.

   PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:The bird is the metaphorical representative of my five-year old sister, Cindy, my best friend, who passed in her sleep in 1963 after trick-or-treating together as a bird for Halloween. The loss for my family was like the twin towers for the world; a life-long search for healing, awareness, consideration, empathy, reflection, tolerance, understanding and connection to our natural existence and surroundings.

THE BALL|SPHERE|CIRCLE has no beginning and no ending; it is related to the divine, reflecting wholeness, the world. The sphere offers support in its ability to entertain, come around and complete itself. The magical round quality depicts varies needs for oneness, protection, community as well as multiple possibilities for direction and change. 

   PERSONAL CONNECTION: As a child, I was an independent and free spirit. I was always given a ball or stuffed animal to hold while trying to keep me still. With a strong appreciation for movement and change, I love diversity, travel, challenges and analyzing new possibilities for learning and action.

THE CLOCK is a constant reminder to honor the time I have been given. Time is precious, easily  lost and unchangeable, never regained. Time represents the need for compassion, care, tolerance and energy TODAY. It is the Seize the Day/Carpe Diem of life.

PERSONAL REMINDER: One year and one day apart, 1957 and 1958, Cindy and I shared everything. When she died, I was hospitalized on November 2 due to the concern for the possibility of an infectious disease due to Cindy’s sudden death. My mother, nine months pregnant with her sixth child, visited at a distance only once, standing at the window. I had one visitor throughout the 20 days, my least favorite aunt. The room was barren with no entertainment other than one wall clock to watch time tick. My father had already passed in 1959. I returned to my overwhelmed home of 4 sisters on November 22, the day President Kennedy was shot.

 LONE BIRD-STUDIO 57

Address: 80172 Pioneer Street | Wamic (Tygh Valley) | OREGON 97063