Show Notes:
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In this episode we sat down with Samuel Hoskins, a realist artist based in the pacific northwest whose goal is to use his art as a bridge between dreams and material reality. Sam tells us all about his journey before and after graduating from the Florence Academy as well as experimenting with different mediums and exploring spiritual and philosophical themes in his art. He reminds us that as creatives we are vessels for ideas and images that we share with the world around us to connect with others. We also discuss the importance of overcoming blocks by having a dedicated studio space and also the value of self-care, balance, and continually learning through different environments and experiences. Samuel also tells us all about his YouTube channel where he shares tutorials on making medium and even lead white paint from scratch as well as time lapses of his work. He also shares advice for aspiring artists on having the right mentality when attending art school and figuring out one's personal artistic goals. He also recommends gaining experience through small local shows before pursuing larger opportunities. Finally, Sam tells us about his booth at the upcoming Bellevue Arts Museum Art Fair and his upcoming show in his hometown of Salem, Oregon at Salem Art Association.
Samuel's FASO site:
https://www.samuelhoskins.com/
Samuel's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/samuelshoskins/
Samuel's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@samuel.s.hoskins
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Transcript:
Samuel Hoskins: 0:00
It seems to be also like kind of the role that like the artist plays with like creating a painting that there's both like, like, I think that the highest form of like painting is to be like a vessel basically, so that you can kind of connect with this, this like kind of unknown, like, ocean of potentiality and then somehow get some sort of like concreteness in the painting that then people can interact with and, and, you know, the best paintings are relevant today as they were when they were painted. And, and I think that's kind of shows that it's, it can act as a vessel that like people can try to, like glean the utility from Welcome
Laura Arango Baier: 0:39
to the BoldBrush show, where we believe that fortune favors the bold brush. My name is Laura Arango Baier, and I'm your host. For those of you who are new to the podcast. We are a podcast that covers art marketing techniques, and all sorts of business tips specifically to help artists learn to better sell their work. We interview artists at all stages of their careers as well as others are in careers tied to the art world in order to hear their advice and insights. In this episode, we sat down with Samuel Hoskins, a real estate artist based in the Pacific Northwest, whose goal is to use his art as a bridge between dreams and material reality. Sam tells us all about his journey before and after graduating from the Florence Academy, as well as experimenting with different mediums and exploring spiritual and philosophical themes in his art. He reminds us that as creatives we are vessels for ideas and images that we share with the world around us to connect with others. We also discuss the importance of overcoming blocks by having a dedicated studio space and also the value of self care balance and continually learning through different environments and experiences. Samuel also tells us all about his YouTube channel where he shares tutorials on making medium and even led white paint from scratch, as well as time lapses of his work. He also shares advice for aspiring artists on having the right mentality when attending art school and figuring out one's personal artistic goals. He also recommends gaining experience through small local shows before pursuing larger opportunities. Finally, Sam tells us about his booth at the upcoming Bellevue Arts Museum Art Fair. And his upcoming show in his hometown in Salem, Oregon at Salem Art Association. Welcome Samuel to the BoldBrush show. How are you today?
Samuel Hoskins: 2:14
I'm great. I'm excited to be part of this.
Laura Arango Baier: 2:16
Yeah, we do. I'm happy to have you a fellow you know, Florence person, despite not going to the same academy, I you know, the experience is very similar, at least you know, the life of Florence and everything. And then also your work is very beautiful. I really love the spiritual aspect of your work, and how you try to you know, join the spiritual with the technical side, which we were discussing a little bit before we started, and it's challenging it is. But before we dive into your work, do you mind telling us a bit about who you are and what you do?
Samuel Hoskins: 2:51
Yeah, so I guess the the quick rundown, is I went to the Florence Academy right after high school. So I did the full three year program there and then wasn't invited on to stay on and extra years like a graduate in residence. And I did some teaching as well to like the new incoming students. And yeah, so then I finished that up last year, and then this whole year has been like the first full year of being in the real world outside of the, the safety in the confines of the academy. So it's been a really cool experience of, of, I guess, just getting into galleries, the real world, like kind of figuring out what it is that I want to use those tools that I got at the academy. To to create. So it's been a it's been a fun journey so far.
Laura Arango Baier: 3:36
Yeah. And the journey continues. It's very, yeah, long journey. Yeah, and, and also, especially right after, you know, graduating and after, you know, he said, that safe space of the academy, it becomes even more challenging, oftentimes, for graduates. Because now is the time for you to experiment and to let go and really, I guess, yeah, really explore, right, and you're now in that phase, but even then, like your work is very, very beautiful. And I wanted to ask you, you know, when did you decide that this was your path that you wanted to follow the path of the artist?
Samuel Hoskins: 4:17
Well, like, I guess it's kind of a cliche. Like, I've just, I think I've always been kind of drawn toward that direction. But it didn't take the form of like painting until probably I was 13 or 14. But before that, like as soon as I learned how to read and write, I was stapling papers together and making like comic books and stories and things like that writing and drawing in them, but I think it was kind of interesting is I would always also try to sell them as well. So you know, Christmas Eve when my birthday or like stuff like that, like family gatherings, I would always have a little like booth little little table and I'd be selling these little books for like, you know, 50 cents or $1 or something like that. But it was it was just all part of that process. So I guess and it was kind of a fun thing to do and to be like a storyteller. And then I think it was probably around, like, when I was 12, or 13, there was actually a friend's a student that like, came into my middle school. And he was homeschooled. And I guess this is his first time in like a regular like, like a normal school. And in the homeschool group, he would take was taking these art classes, like learning how to very basic like kind of drawing painting type classes. And I just remember like, looking at the stuff he was doing, and being like, Whoa, this is like, way above, like the average person in my class, like my own skill level, stuff like that. And that was kind of when it like clicked to me that like drawing and painting was something that you could invest time in the same way that like you could with math, or grammar, or science, or anything you could learn in school, you could do the same thing with with drawing and painting and actually, like, get tangibly better. And so that was kind of opened my eyes to that. And I ended up taking some summer workshops at that like homeschool group, to kind of get the basics. And that was really when, when I kind of grappled on to the drawing and painting, side of storytelling.
Laura Arango Baier: 6:17
I love that. And that, you know, it makes sense. I feel like, like, we were kind of talking about this to how, you know, being an artist is such an organic thing, right. And homeschooling in my opinion is a bit more organic than, you know, going to school and like being part of the system, which allows that creativity and that openness to be able to explore, like, basically anything. So for a person who wants to like learn how to paint and draw, like, it's very convenient to have that freedom. Of course, as long as you're also getting your education on the side. You know, like the basics. Yeah, that's what matters. But that's so awesome. You know, you never know who you meet that really changes your direction in life like that. Yeah, yeah. And then I wanted to know, because you went to Florence, right after high school, how did you hear about Florence Academy.
Samuel Hoskins: 7:07
So there was like the, the arts, like local art community center in my hometown, they have a program for high schoolers, where they connect high schoolers with a practicing artist in the hometown in my hometown, and to kind of mentor them and work with them a little bit. And then there was like, weekly meetings where we did their activities and stuff like that. And it was just a really random happened chance that I got connected with an artist who had fairly recently moved into my hometown. And he, he was just like, the nicest guy in the world, and kind of taught me the basic basics of oil painting, and kind of introduced me to the whole like Atelier scene. And, and so that kind of, is what kind of got that onto my radar. And then it was, it was my, it was my junior year of high school, like kind of toward the winter. And I was looking at like a, I guess a more higher level art education, something to do over the summer. And I was looking at applying to the Florence Academy, the the New Jersey branch, like for a summer workshop. And it wasn't on my radar to go like to leave the country to go somewhere else. But my dad was actually a huge supporter of it. And he was like, Well, if you're going to do this, like he saw that I was like, This is what I wanted to do. And I was really passionate about it. And he was like really mad, we'll just go to the real thing and try to actually like go to Florence. And so I was able to do some fundraising and things like that, and actually go to the Florence Academy, the summer workshop, and my junior year of high school. So I was I was 17 at the time. And so that that was after I saw like the quality of work and the teachers and like that's just like opened my eyes to a whole nother level of like, things that could be done that I had was not on my radar at all. There's nobody in my hometown that had any training like that before. So as soon as I came back from the US from that, I was, like totally sold that I wanted to get this sort of education so that I can use these tools to create paintings. And so the senior year of high school was pretty rough because I was not super motivated to do any of the classes because I was so like set on I want to go Florence I want to learn how to draw on paints. And then yeah, I I applied in the winter and got in and yeah, that's that. That's awesome. Oh my gosh. Yeah. And then I can imagine, yeah, the the motivating aspect of like, well, all of these classes in high school are just geared for people who want to go to university and like being an artist. You don't really need any training. Technically, the training helps specially if you want to be a realist painter, which is, of course, majority of people that I've had on the podcast are realist painters. So that is really nice that you know, there's like that trade school sort of aspect of it, but it
Laura Arango Baier: 10:17
subjects that you might get in high school. Um, but yeah, that is really awesome. And, you know, it's very fortunate to that you were able to go, so you're like, young, a lot of people end up going maybe after college or maybe even later. So it's quite great that you were able to go so fresh out of high school and even during high school? Yeah, yeah, no, it's very much. I attributed that a lot to having such supportive parents. And so they've been on board 100%. So it's, it's yeah, it's really cool to, to have that sort of support and encourage me, they definitely saw from a, maybe a higher vantage point that this was kind of the direction that, like I was I was heading toward. Yeah, yeah, and you make a great point. I mean, having that support, you know, not everyone gets that familial support, they might get support from friends or from their partner if they have a partner. But yeah, it can be really hard without that support. And it's, it's really awesome that your parents were able to nurture that, that side of you as well, so that you could go off and try it. And of course, your work, like I was saying is very spiritual, it's very beautiful. And I wanted to ask you, actually, about your work. I'm really curious to know, you're fresh out of school, though, kind of, um, but do you kind of have an idea of what goal you aim to reach with your work?
Samuel Hoskins: 11:42
Yeah, I think the way I think about it, is, I guess, like I have, I don't have a shortage of like ideas, or like these images, or things that kind of come to me, which I think a lot of creatives have that that kind of comes to them. And a lot of people like have these ideas, but they just kind of pop out, you know, kind of randomly, like when you're walking or in dreams, or, you know, at the gym or something like that. And so I was kind of thought of it as like, the very like, earliest forms of religion were like these, like proto religious, like people who basically worship like these, these stellar demons, and they were kind of ingenious enough to realize that, like, whatever these these things, in the stars in the skies were there of like, a different ontology than we were, they were like something of a different nature. And so that there had to be some sort of intermediary, that kind of bridge the gap. And so like, there's these like statues, that, you know, through this, these, this early religious environment that they could like, Call down the demons into the statues, and they could exist in the statues. And then people can interact with the statues and kind of like, extract the Gnosis from that. And that seems to be like a very, like, early form of kind of, like, the role that like Christ is is like this, this bridge, and like the muse in Greek mythology, and it seems to be also like kind of the role that like the artist plays with like creating a painting that there's both like, like, I think that the highest form of like painting is to be like a vessel basically, so that you can kind of connect with this, this like, kind of unknown, like, ocean of potentiality, and then somehow get some sort of like concreteness in the painting that then people can interact with, and, and, you know, the best paintings are relevant today as they were when they were painted. And, and I think that's kind of shows that it's, it can act as a vessel that like people can try to, like, glean the utility from and I think that's, that's, that's a, it's hard to kind of make that concrete, but that's definitely like, I feel like, what I want to be able to do is to somehow just be a vessel for these ideas that kind of come to me more than like, trying to, like, show my own like, subjective experience, which I think that comes through anyways, but I don't think you have to, like work. Like, I don't think that should be like the ultimate goal. But
Laura Arango Baier: 14:19
yeah, like, I love that. I love that and I'm totally with you, because I you know, I can relate to that. Um, I do see that, you know, a lot of creative people truly are like, like how you were saying, like channels to bring forth I guess, images that could impact others and help them maybe understand deeper truths about life and the meaning of life and everything you know, that ranges from like joy and suffering and all the aspects of what it means to be a human and the human experience. So I really, I appreciate that you're, you know, a fellow open channel Have who really wants to embody that and receive it and give it back to everyone else? That's beautiful. Yeah.
Samuel Hoskins: 15:07
Yeah. And then, you know, once it's out there, then people can see like the free market, if, you know, the ideas can die, they can, you know, reproduce, they can change. But like, I think the role is just to get them out there, and then let people kind of decide what sort of utility it has. Yeah,
Laura Arango Baier: 15:25
yeah. And then, you know, kind of like how Carl Jung talks about the collective unconscious, right? Even if those images, quote unquote, disappear, someone else will channel them anyway, you know, can be channeled through a painting or through music, or poetry or a book, like it's endless, right? They're like endless images that we can all give and to also connect to your how you said about the subjective experience, obviously, the way that you would paint an idea is very different from the way that I would paint it right. So that also brings forth that, I guess, personal view of the world, because you I mean, you can only see the world as you see it, right, you can try to put yourself in other people's shoes, which is very important. But nevertheless, like you're still viewing it from your own personal experience as a human on Earth, which is Yeah, yeah. Just cool. thing. That's awesome. And then I did want to ask, because since you are, we are talking about, you know, how rough it is to, I guess, to bring forth these ideas after, you know, learning such material techniques, such a grounded, earthly thing, which is painting and applying the paint so that it looks real, right, you have to learn reality. But then these ideas are much more lofty, right, they're much more of another world that's really never been seen, unless it's through dreams, or through very quick images that hit you, right? Yeah. Do you ever feel like blocked? Or have you? Have you felt blocked since you've left the school? And have you been able to overcome those blocks? Yeah, I
Samuel Hoskins: 17:10
think, I think it's definitely like, like, if, like in a new environment, and a new situation, which is very much like, you know, a big milestone to finish, like the your education, the the schooling, and then to be on your own. It's like, there's, there's like pathways in every direction. And so it can be a bit like, you can feel a bit like paralyzed, or at least I did with, like, all these different directions, I could go with it. And so I guess I've been, you know, I'm, I think a lot of artists are very critical of themselves. And so I've been trying to be much more gracious to allow myself to kind of go down one road a little bit, and then come back. And I think this past year, I've been going down a lot of different roads, but maybe I'm not not too far, pretty much at the same spot. But it's not the same spot, because I've been exploring all these, all these other kind of avenues. And then I think it's really helpful. Like, if I feel stuck, a lot of it is kind of environmental, I feel like so like, I was really wanting and excited to go back to the US after spending four years in Florence. Because, you know, the, the environment is very much saturated with you know, the very materialistic way of going about a painting. And that's amazing, that's great. But it's only like, maybe a third of what it what it what I'm hoping to do as a painter. And so it's really nice to get in different environments. And, and to kind of have that space to explore. Even just maybe this a bit off topic, but even just like to have a studio space where we're, you know, these, these extremely talented individuals, like the teachers, teachers aren't going to see what I'm working on different stages. Like, I like my studio, nobody sees it, unless if I like want people to. And so it's much more freeing to like, explore and make mistakes, and just like, you know, throw paintings away, put them against the wall or come back to them later and to leave things that look super bad. And super raw. Because like there's no, like, I'm very sensitive to what other people think about me. Like, that's something that I struggle with and that I tried to work on. But it's just so nice to just be able to choose what people see for the work. And so that's been really nice, but But yeah, it was like the environment is a big thing. And so like, like definitely feeling stuck, even if it's just an afternoon just to get away to something else go along I'll hike or like I've been spending the last two months in Europe, doing a lot of like plein air painting and things like that. And I was getting quite burnt out in the studio. And then now I'm quite burnt out from plein air painting. I'm very excited to go back to the studio. So for me it's really nice just to have a variety.
Laura Arango Baier: 19:57
Yeah, yeah, you know I really want to dig a little more in what you said about having a space. Because I think a lot of people underestimate the, I guess the sacredness of the artists studio, right? A lot of people like they misunderstand, like, they'll think, Oh, cool. And artists studio, like, that's so nice. But it's more than that, you know, it's like a space for you to really incubate your ideas and to put them forth. And it's such a, like you said, it's such a sensitive place, you know, and, obviously, you know, working at at Florence Academy, and especially being around a lot of people who, like we said, are very much more grounded in terms of their, like, the way that they paint or what they want to paint, it's very earthly. And that's fine. Like we said, it's beautiful, it's well made, but they wouldn't understand what you're going for with your own work. And that can definitely hinder you, right, that can hold you back from fully expressing whatever it is that you want to bring forth. And then also that experimental stage like, it's so sensitive to outside observers, right? Like, you don't want someone to come in and start judging with their preconceived notions without them really understanding the process that you're trying to create or trying to go through. So completely, completely agree. Yeah, definitely getting out of out of like, going into the studio and out of the studio is just as important. Yeah. And then another place that you're kind of, not quite out, but not buy in, right is the internet. Right? So I wanted to ask you, why did you decide to start a YouTube channel, which, by the way, it's really cool, I highly recommend that everyone is listening to this to go check it out. It's such a vibe. And he has some great tutorials, which we're gonna talk about. But also, why did you decide to start it? And how was that experience like for you?
Samuel Hoskins: 21:52
Um, well, it's been a great experience, I'll say that first, most, but um, it's definitely like, there's kind of two elements to it, it's me just like kind of playing around with different things that I want to try to do, like, in a in a video format, and then just documenting what I do anyways. And so it's kind of a nice balance, because like, I have a lot of time lapses of paintings I do. And it's a way for people to, like, watch me like in my studio, but also, like, I have no pressure of having something leaving something in a bad stage. Because if it's out on YouTube, then like, I'm happy with the end results, if I'm not happy with the end result, like the video just doesn't exist. And so it's nice to it's, yeah, it's a good way that it doesn't, it doesn't make too much more work for me. But I love like, I think it's really important to have an online presence. And I feel like this, this, the way I'm doing it is not super distracting to me. And so it's been just kind of playing around with things. And then also like, I make a lot of my own materials, either, like, occasionally or like stuff that I'll use like regularly. And so if I'm making something like you just like put a camera on a tripod, and then you know, people can find that quite interesting. And it doesn't. It doesn't take too much extra work. I don't want you to be something that takes all my time. It's definitely like, like a second or third focus of mine.
Laura Arango Baier: 23:19
BoldBrush We inspire artists to inspire the world because creating art creates magic, and the world is currently in desperate need of magic. BoldBrush provides artists with free art marketing, creativity, and business ideas and information. This show is an example. We also offer written resources, articles and a free monthly art contest open to all visual artists. We believe that fortune favors the bold brush. And if you believe that to sign up completely free at BoldBrush show.com. That's BOLDBRUSHshow.com. The BoldBrush Show is sponsored by FASO. Now more than ever, it's crucial to have a website when you're an artist, especially if you want to be professional in your career. Thankfully, with our special link faso.com/podcast, you can make that come true. And also get over 50% of your first year on your artists website. Yes, that's basically the price of 12 lattes in one year, which I think is a really great deal considering that you get sleek and beautiful website templates that are also mobile friendly e commerce print on demand in certain countries, as well as access to our marketing center that has our brand new art marketing calendar. And the art marketing calendar is something that you won't get with our competitor. The art marketing calendar gives you day by day step by step guides on what you should be doing today right now in order to get your artwork out there and seen by the right eyes so that you can make more sales this year. So if you want to change your life and actually meet your sales goal this year, then start now by going to our special link faster.com forward slash podcast that's FASO.com/podcast. You I really love that I really love that you, I was looking and definitely your tutorials are very interesting, especially, you know, like how you make your own your own Damar, or your own black oil, which we were talking about a little bit before. But I wanted to ask you, how it like, first of all, how did you even figure out how to make black oil? Because I feel like there are a bunch of recipes for it. And then do you recommend it?
Samuel Hoskins: 25:26
Yeah, well, at the, at the Academy, the French Academy, there was a lot of material lectures were an over the course of the four years I was there, I think we covered just about everything, even like cleaning your own linseed oil, which, which I'm doing as well. But like all these very like kind of esoteric alchemical, like kind of lost hidden recipes for these different things, was something that was a kind of a common interest with a lot of people at the academy. So it was fun to talk about and play around with and, and learn how to do it safely and how to do it, where it's not going to like destroy your melts your painting or something like that. But to kind of get into the, like preservation aspects of it, and the safety aspects of it. And the, like the utility aspects of it. So it was definitely like all the stuff I've done, I've had, like a sketchbook with a bunch of notes taken with from from watching people, like who have done it for a long time and are quite competent at doing it. And so like with with black oil, I guess one to use that was kind of was kind of born out of the frustration of painting with with like ivory black at the academy. Because at the academy, like we use LED white, which is like the fastest color on Earth to dry. And so that will be like dried the next day, like 100%. But the ivory Black is very slow drying. And if you were to add anything to kind of expert at the drying time, it just gets super oily and watery. And it's not very archival and it's it's just not nice to work with. And so the idea of the black oil was to kind of cut it into making the ivory black and so that it kind of exploits the drying time, but it doesn't get too oily as well. And so that has been really nice. I've been pretty much painting with that this past year since I've been out of the Academy for my blacks, and it's very nice. The only thing with with black oil is because it speeds up the drying time, you don't want it in the lead white because it dries too fast. And then that's not not good for the painting. But I found that if like I make the ivory black with some of the black oil in it, then like it's kind of like it's in the ratio without me even having to think about it. Because if I'm mixing, you know, the colors together, as as there gets more whites in it, there's less black and then there's less black oil consequently, so it's kind of a way to make sure that I don't even have to think about it and it stays like the it it kind of respects that that it doesn't become like drying too fast.
Laura Arango Baier: 27:53
Right. And I also wanted to ask because so then you buy the actual ivory black pigment, right, just the powdered pigment, then. Yeah, that's awesome. Where do you where do you think get it and do like where do you recommend people try to get it from?
Samuel Hoskins: 28:07
I I've gotten like, the like the pigments I guess is from natural pigments. I think it's called Bone black. They call it there but yeah, it's it. It works great. I usually I make like my own LED light, yellow ochre and then like black and then like a castle earth like an ombre. But then like kind of the other colors like if I have some more like chromatic colors are kind of the ones that are slightly more expensive that I don't use very much of I'll just use like to paint for that.
Laura Arango Baier: 28:36
Nice. Yeah. And then about your your lead white, actually, because it just yeah, you just reminded me that you do have a video on how you make your lead white. How has that been like, because I heard that the old way of making it they used manure? I don't know if you use for it? I did. Yes. Wow. Yeah.
Samuel Hoskins: 28:54
Yeah. Because I made that last summer and yeah, I just literally just looked on looked on Craigslist for horse manure. And there was a, you know, a place like two minutes from my house like a farm that just said, like, had a big pile back then it take as much as you want. But yeah, that I made I was really surprised at how heavy it was the finished product. It was like a, like a not not a not a super impressive jar of it. And it was like five kilos or, I don't know, like 12 pounds or something like that. It was a lot in a little container. But I mean, it's like pure lead. So but uh, but yeah, that was interesting. Definitely. Like, I don't know if I'll do that. Always. It was I got a lot of lead out of it. And it was a cool experience. But I had to like there's a lot of safety things you got to be really careful with. And that's the biggest thing. It's quite time consuming as well. Yeah,
Laura Arango Baier: 29:53
yeah. But just the experience itself. I mean, imagine being a painter right way back then before the tube to paint so that they had to go through the process themselves. And because I feel like you know, back then especially like it was much harder to get pigments, right, they would have to like, go to their local, like pigment guy. And whatever they had on hand was what worked. But definitely, you know, the horse manure thing. That's insane. That is like, so I really like how that really ties into what you said about the whole alchemical aspect of making your own paint and like making your own mediums and stuff. Because it does make you feel like down to the level of the actual paint, right? Not just the canvas, not just the actual painting aspect, the paint itself, right, making it from scratch is such it's such a transmutation, right, you're you're turning these pigments into paint, and the paint becomes an image and then that image becomes reality. Right? It's like, yeah, kind of trippy when you think about it that way. Yeah, so definitely, I feel like people should, if they really want to make live white, they should check out your tutorial because I think that's amazing. And then I did want to ask what was the most enjoyable YouTube video that you've made to date.
Samuel Hoskins: 31:12
I, I like, I really enjoy making the videos of just like the kind of the time lapse videos and then I like kind of will have like a talk or dialogue or even like a, like a mock interview with like, AI like talking to something. But those those I make just just for fun, they like, hardly get any views or anything like that compared to like the material ones. But like, they're just kind of fun to, it's fun to just kind of talk about, like, I read a lot. And I really like to, like put myself in the shooters have like different ideas and to think about things in different ways. And so it's fun to kind of talk about the ideas that I'm thinking about while I'm making the painting. And to kind of put it in that format, it's kind of a way, because like a lot of the paintings that like a lot of people do, who have had like the academic background, like they're quite time consuming. And so there's not a whole lot that you can kind of release into the world as far as like content goes. And so it's kind of a cool way to kind of like extend the I guess the the format or the way that I'm showing the painting into the world in a way that's like different and I don't feel like it like tarnishes or like lowers the quality of it, but just kind of cool to kind of see the whole process of it. It's definitely, it's something I wish I would have loved to have seen like with Rembrandt or Rubens or Blasket, or any of those painters, like I would love to see a time lapse. And then here are what they were thinking about, and the kinds of these ideas. So I guess that's just kind of, yeah, it's just been a fun kind of thing.
Laura Arango Baier: 32:54
Yeah, yeah. And I agree, those are really fun too, because, you know, especially as creatives, having those, like thought experiments and having those dialogues are so key also to one, you know, understanding yourself. And then also like, for someone who's really interested in hearing it from you, and wants to know what you're thinking about, right? It's really cool for them to, because you're passing on that. Because that information that what you're going through, right. Is there any book that you've read recently, that's really like been on your mind? A lot?
Samuel Hoskins: 33:32
Hmm, that's a good question. I guess I guess, I've kind of been rereading like pieces of the art spirit. Again, I read it when I was very early at the Academy. And so it's been kind of cool to come back to it. From a very, very different perspective. Yeah, it's definitely like, I would recommend anyone who's a creative in any way to read that. But yeah, it's such a cool it's just always, like, I think I think ideas can be very intoxicating, and very, yeah, just just like, you can get high on ideas. And I feel like that book, after I read it, I'm always like, Okay, I'm ready to take on the world. And so if you ever need like, you want to feel like that, like the role of the artist is important. And, and to have like, some concrete, but not like concrete, philosophical kind of frameworks that you can kind of bolster yourself up on. I think a book has a lot of really, like quotable lines and and yeah, just very elegantly written that gives a lot of importance to the role of the artist. Yeah.
Laura Arango Baier: 34:45
Funny enough. A friend literally just gifted me a copy of that book. So it's kind of trophy that you mentioned, I'm like, Hmm, maybe I should actually make some time to read it. I've been so busy, but yeah, I mean, I did. I did kind I flipped through it. And it's it almost seems a little bit like stream of consciousness in some parts, right? He seems to like give tips that also like, it's like one tip and then it continues on to the next and the next one the next is that kind of like how it is. Yeah.
Samuel Hoskins: 35:14
And it's it's so interesting because before I started reading like Harold speed and Robert and Henry, I think the art spirit is run by, and kind of the more arts philosophical books, I was reading a lot of like Carl Jung, and Nietzsche, and even like getting into Aristotle and stuff like that. And I was surprised at how, like, these painters were super, like universal. It's not like, just applicable to painters, but it's like, deep, really cool insight. And so like, I was really surprised to see that, like, like, it's definitely applicable to everyone. But it's, it's an interesting because they have a very visual lifestyle, but they're very focused on the visual element of it. And so it's a very, it's a very, like, it's a slightly different angle to take, like, philosophy from.
Laura Arango Baier: 36:09
Yeah, yeah. And that's also a really great point that there's so much that goes into especially painting, you know, in the, in the sense of, like, the bringing forth images from the Collective Unconscious side, which is so cool. Of course, you read Carl Jung, it makes perfect sense. So much of painting is philosophy, right? It is digging deeper into the why, right? Like, especially after the academy, right, the academy is like the how, and then after you leave, it's very much more digging into the why. And I think it's great that, you know, you were able to, and you have been able to explore that with philosophy, and especially like these books, you know, the the more philosophical aspect of painting, specifically, because obviously, Aristotle will give you like philosophy, but it then becomes like, a bit of a task for you to connect that into painting, which is overlap, and there are ways of doing it, but it can be a little bit more challenging. Yeah. Yeah. And then you mentioned how, like, you know, YouTube is almost like, the the, like, third thing, right, that you keep on your list? How have you handled your time management, you know, with painting and maybe doing like, traveling, like you said, and doing these YouTube videos? What's your time management? Like? Yeah,
Samuel Hoskins: 37:30
so it's, it's definitely there's been some priority shifts from when I was at the academy. At the Academy, it's very much like the project, the Academy are first, your sleep, your, your food, your exercise, it's like, like, who cares about that, right. And so like, coming back to the States, and like structuring my own schedule, and stuff like that, my, like health and well being is like, number one, I think it's like the most important thing. And so I'm trying to, you know, take out time to be able to exercise every day, and to be as in tune with myself as possible, as far as like making sure I have enough like social interaction, and, you know, I'm eating right and getting enough sleep and things like that. That's, that's the number one thing. And then painting and like putting in the effort and time is the number two. And those are kind of the things that are kind of on the top, the top of the hierarchy. And then, and then like editing videos, sending emails, applying to competitions, and residencies, and things like that, I will often do those in the evenings. Or if I had a week where I'm, you know, been working really hard and feeling kind of burnt out with painting to just kind of spend it have a computer day where I can just kind of get all these loose ends done. But But yeah, I've been trying to, to kind of structure my schedule in that way.
Laura Arango Baier: 38:52
Yeah. And we were also kind of talking about this too, earlier about how organic it is to be in the career of the artist, right. It's like, I feel like today's in today's world, it's so unnatural, to do the whole nine to five thing that everyone seems to do that honestly, it's pretty recent. I think it's only been like 100 years since we started that. Yeah. And it's I feel like it's done a lot of harm to people living in that organic place of like, these are my energy levels. And this is what I can do with these energy levels. And you know, like you said self attunement, I think I'm so happy you said that because that self attunement is so key. And, of course at the academy, like you said, it's like your work like painting 60 hours a week, basically, like you don't really have any time for anything. Really. Yeah, because it's it's such a workaholic environment. Yeah, yeah. To get the most out of it and everything and I get it, but it's it can be very harmful. And oftentimes, I feel like students who leave those academies when they get home, they're super bummed out. And all you want to do is like sleep, because it's just the heart For years ever,
Samuel Hoskins: 40:01
yeah. Yeah, I think it's, it's really important to, like, even if your life is like super imbalanced at that time, like, I think it's okay for a bit of time, if you can kind of compensate afterwards. So like, like, I get how like, intense the academy needs to be. And I'm glad it is that way. Because like, I want to get as much as I can out of the those three or four years, I'm there. But then like, definitely, like, the summers, like, I like it was the summers, I was doing a lot of like art fairs and showing the work and selling the work and stuff like that. But I wasn't like doing master studies and things like that, like I just needed a break from, I was doing a lot of like, sketching and stuff like that of like my own, like personal projects that I was thinking about and stuff like that. But I think it's good to like, even if you have like a really imbalanced for a short amount of time to just be aware that like, you'll need to kind of find some sort of equilibrium at some point.
Laura Arango Baier: 41:02
Yes, yes. 100%. Um, and then I did want to ask you, because since we're talking about the economy, too, do you have any advice for anyone who might be thinking about going to one of the schools?
Samuel Hoskins: 41:15
Yeah, I think I think going, going into it with the right mentality is really important. And I was pretty lucky because I think, I think I had a good mentality going into it, because I'm, I was aware of what they had to offer. But I didn't, it's not everything, some people go into the academy thinking that at the end of the three years, you're going to be you know, just have a line of people wanting you to do Commission's for them, and to you know, have your whole life worked out, which, which I definitely did a little bit, for sure. But, um, but But I mean, it's very much like, I think it's, I think it's a one like a third of what it takes, like the academy stuff, like, if you want to be like a representational or to have like a tech technique, the big part of, of what you do as a painter, but it teaches you the tools, but then you still also have to have the why. And that can only really come from you. And I think it's good. Like, I think it's good that the school doesn't try to teach that. But I think like people need to be like, aware that you have to kind of figure that out. And then also, like, there's this whole marketing side, and to make sure that, you know, you can you don't have to like say, oh, you know, going without meat this month or something like that, and make sure you can still, like bring food to the table. But But yeah, so like, there's, there's definitely like these three avenues to like going into it, I was pretty aware that these were the tools, and that I still had to I had to use them for something I couldn't just, like, stay in this world of very, like academic painting for my whole life. And I didn't want to and maybe some people like that, that works for them. But it didn't. It's not for me. But But anyway, so like going into it, I was still like, you know, applying to, to like show my work and local places like in my hometown, like when I was back in the summer and stuff like that. So I was always looking at seeing how I can market myself, and then how I can also like, kind of explore these paintings I want to do outside of, you know, the unbelievably busy schedule at the academy, but like during breaks and stuff like that, but it was always kind of on the back of my mind, even if I wasn't able to actually like do any personal paintings or anything like that outside the academy, but I was just kind of aware that these were tools, and I was kind of thinking about, like just playing around with ideas of like, Oh, what am I going to do after the academy, and I think that's really a good thing to do. Because, like, you know, I think just like being aware of what it is that you want to want to achieve. Like, for some people, it might be much, you know, kind of a spectrum, people might be much more like kind of academically inclined, and other people might be much more kind of on the fringes. But I think just being aware of that at the beginning, or at least having an idea, even though it could change a lot. And I'm sure it will like by the end, but just to be aware of that think is really important.
Laura Arango Baier: 44:01
Yeah, yeah. And that, that takes a lot of like, self understanding, too. It takes a lot of like, being with yourself and I feel like one of the harder things of being at these academies is that you can be so easily influenced to by your peers. So having like, like you said, like having some time in the summer so between like the trimesters and stuff to be able to like or semesters to be able to like, do your own stuff and work on your own work alongside working at the academy. That's so important. It's so key. And I like that you were already thinking about the marketing right? Because especially today like with social media, I feel like social media has become such a like, I guess like a hub, right for everyone to you know, go and find inspiration or like buy piece. I mean, there's some people who do that. What do you do have any recommendations for someone who wants to like start marketing themselves? Maybe like on social media or something?
Samuel Hoskins: 45:01
Um, I don't, like, I feel like I haven't done so much on social media, like I just, I just, you know, post the work I'm doing and, you know, like, I don't have anything really insightful to say I feel like I'm a social media front. But um, I do think like, like, in the summers and kind of the off times of the academy, like I would be like doing group shows, or like just community shows at the local art gallery and things like that. And the the lady who works there was like, super helpful with like, just telling me like, oh, you can't frame it like this, or you gotta, you can't use this for the hang the wire on and just those little things like that, or just like slap your wrist like, oh, you can't do that. It's like super unprofessional, or, like, people hate it when you do that. But it's all those things that it's like, oh, I had no idea. Like, I never even thought about that. And so I think like, there's so much you can learn from just like getting out there on the local front. And so like, I didn't really sell very much. And definitely didn't make much money doing that. But I gained so much experience. So then when I was able to like, start doing like these larger art fairs and kind of having some larger, like showings and stuff like that. It like the I think I was able to, like present myself in a much better way than I would have if I didn't have those experiences with the small, like, low risk, but not much reward experiences that I was able to gain so much from, I think like comedians do that a lot with like, you know, testing out all their old all their new jokes, and like little pubs and stuff like that. So I think I think that's something that is quite universal to like, creative endeavors to like, kind of practice on a small scale, before you just like immediately jump into something quite large.
Laura Arango Baier: 46:44
That's a great point, you know, starting starting with the small stuff, and gaining like experience from that very thing. It's also very underrated. And it's great that you even during, right, when you were still a student, you were still you know, attending these art fairs and putting yourself out there, which is so important to help you grow like you're physically your experience, and also the people who are observing it, right, because you also meet a lot of people at those places. Yeah, maybe start following you, or might also influence your work. Like they might say something and then you'll notice something right. Like, it's, it's such a Yeah, it's like it's such a magical thing to be able to like be open and to put yourself out there. Yeah, that's so true. Yeah. And then do you have any upcoming like shows or events or anything that you'd like to promote?
Samuel Hoskins: 47:38
Yeah, I'm getting ready for the Bellevue Arts Museum Art Fair. It's the first year I'll be doing it. So I'll have a booth there. And we'll be selling all my work. Yeah, I'm really excited. It'll be in Bellevue, Washington. And so that's July 26, to the 28th. And then after that, I'll have a show in like my, my hometown, in Salem, Oregon at the Salem Art Association. So I'll have a show there. In September, I think like September 7, or sixth sometime around there. But yeah, so I'm looking forward to being able to, to kind of show all the work the summer.
Laura Arango Baier: 48:16
Yeah, that's so exciting. And then where can people find more of your work?
Samuel Hoskins: 48:23
Instagram, and then my website? And then YouTube. Those are kind of like the triad of where I where I post things. But yeah, my websites kind of linked up to all the other kind of platforms I'm on.
Laura Arango Baier: 48:36
Perfect. Yeah. And I'll include all of your links in the show notes so everyone can check them out. And then, yeah, so thank you so much for for being a guest on the show. I really loved this conversation. It was awesome. Definitely insightful, and I'm going to read the art spirit for sure.
Samuel Hoskins: 48:56
Thanks for having me on.
Laura Arango Baier: 48:57
Of course.
Samuel Hoskins — The Artist as a Vessel for the Unknown