A Childhood by the Lake: The Origins of an Artistic Vision
Samantha French’s paintings are steeped in nostalgia, shaped by the shimmering lakes of her childhood in northern Minnesota. Born and raised in a small town, she spent her summers swimming, floating, and diving beneath the surface, memories that would later become the foundation of her artistic practice. While she always had a natural inclination toward creativity, she initially lacked exposure to the world of fine art as a career path. It wasn’t until she attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, graduating with a BFA in painting in 2005, that she fully embraced the idea of becoming a professional artist.
The first steps in her career were rooted in both formal education and entrepreneurial spirit. While still in school, she began selling her paintings through the college’s annual Art Sale and even displayed her work in her parents’ small coffee shop in Nisswa, Minnesota. These early successes gave her the confidence to push forward, leading her to move to New York after graduation. At a time when selling paintings online was still uncommon, she embraced digital platforms, building a following and establishing her career in a rapidly evolving art market. She also started producing her own prints early on as a way to make artwork accessible and affordable—and continues to offer them through her website. Over the past two decades, her work has continued to evolve, yet always circles back to her fascination with water, light, and the human figure.
After more than a decade in New York City, French eventually relocated to the Hudson Valley, seeking a quieter environment to focus on her work. The move provided a much-needed shift, allowing her to dedicate herself fully to painting without the constant distractions of city life. Now, in a studio surrounded by nature, she continues to refine her exploration of water and its ethereal qualities, creating immersive, dreamlike compositions that resonate with universal themes of memory, tranquility, and escapism.
Samantha French: The Fluid Intersection of Realism and Abstraction
French’s artistic style is deeply rooted in figurative painting, yet it defies strict classification. Over the years, her work has transitioned into a more refined realism, though it remains infused with an element of abstraction. At the heart of her compositions is the interplay between the human body and water, a subject she has explored for more than 20 years. The way light refracts through the surface, distorting and reshaping the figure, creates a fascinating duality—at once tangible and elusive. This tension between precision and fluidity is central to her practice, capturing both the movement of water and the fleeting nature of memory.
Her brushwork adds another layer of complexity to her paintings. Up close, the marks appear almost chaotic—energetic strokes that build upon one another in rhythmic layers—yet when viewed from a distance, they coalesce into a harmonious, weightless scene. Water serves as both a literal subject and a metaphorical device, representing suspension, reflection, and transformation. Through rippling light, fragmented forms, and soft, undulating hues, she seeks to transport the viewer to a moment outside of time, evoking the serenity and solitude of floating just beneath the surface.
Though her work originates from personal experiences, it is not meant to be strictly autobiographical. Instead, she invites the viewer to step into the composition, to experience their own memories and emotions through her lens. By balancing realism with abstraction, she creates a space where past and present merge, where a single breath held underwater can feel infinite. Her paintings are not just depictions of figures in water but meditations on time, nostalgia, and the quiet, in-between moments that often go unnoticed.
The Artists and Influences Behind the Work
French’s artistic influences span across different eras and movements, with a particular focus on figurative painters who explore the relationship between the body and its surroundings. She draws inspiration from Jenny Saville’s bold, gestural approach to the human form, as well as Anne Gale’s meticulous layering of color and texture. These artists, though distinct in their methods, share a sensitivity to the way light and structure interact within a composition, something that deeply informs French’s own approach to painting.
Another major influence on her work is the British painter Euan Uglow, known for his precise yet organic compositions. Uglow’s use of measured, meticulous planes of color to depict light and form resonates with French’s exploration of water as a transformative element. Similarly, the Bay Area Figurative painters, particularly Elmer Bischoff, left a lasting impression on her early artistic development. Bischoff’s ability to merge figures with atmospheric, expressive environments mirrors the way French dissolves and reforms her subjects through water’s distortion.
Beyond the world of painting, she finds inspiration in design, interiors, and functional art. In recent years, she has expanded her creative practice by exploring ceramics and furniture making, interests that subtly influence her work in the painting studio. While these disciplines may seem distant from her figurative compositions, they all share a common thread—an attention to form, materiality, and the interplay of structure and movement. This multidisciplinary curiosity keeps her work dynamic, ensuring that each new painting remains fresh, even after decades of exploring a single subject.
Samantha French: The Challenge of Growth in a Changing Art World
As a mid-career artist, French faces the challenge of balancing consistency with creative exploration. Having built a recognizable style over the years, she feels the pressure to maintain continuity while also pushing her work in new directions. The increasing number of artists exploring similar themes only amplifies the difficulty of standing out in an ever-expanding digital art world. For French, one of the greatest struggles is finding the time and space to experiment freely, without the constraints of financial stability and external expectations.
One painting, in particular, stands out as a pivotal moment in her artistic journey. Created over 20 years ago while she was still in school, it depicted her mother and aunt in a local lake, based on an old photograph. This was one of the first pieces where she combined figures with water, and something about the way the green reflections abstracted the scene struck a chord with her. It was a realization that this interplay between memory, nostalgia, and the physical qualities of water could be the foundation of an entire body of work. Even now, after decades of painting, that piece remains significant as the spark that ignited her lifelong artistic pursuit.
French primarily works in oil on canvas, drawn to the medium’s complexity and versatility. The slow drying time allows for intricate layering and adjustments, making it ideal for capturing the nuanced interplay of light and water. In addition to oil, she occasionally uses gouache for smaller studies, appreciating its immediacy and ability to distill compositions down to their essential elements. She has also worked on large-scale murals using acrylic paints, a process she enjoys for its physical intensity and fast-paced nature. However, oil remains her primary language, one that continues to challenge and inspire her with its endless possibilities.
As she looks ahead, French’s goal is to carve out more time for risk-taking and experimentation. While being a full-time artist presents financial and practical challenges, she sees creative failure as a necessary luxury—one that, if given the opportunity, could lead to the next evolution in her work. For an artist so deeply attuned to the shifting nature of light, water, and memory, the ability to embrace change may be the key to unlocking her next great series.
