Sammy Koh
Painter based in Palo Alto, California
ABOUT
Sammy Koh was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1976, raised in a middle-class family that encouraged her artistic abilities. She demonstrated artistic talent as a child and entered Sun-wha Art High School, where she learned all the techniques that she needed to perfect her talent. Attending school for graphic design at Seoul National University in Korea, she continued taking classes of fine arts. She always held a dream to be an artist and worked as an illustrator before immigrating to the US in 2009 with her family. Once they arrived, her focus was on her son and daughter, who were five and three years old at the time. She has created a community around her in Palo Alto. She began teaching art classes since 2019. Many of her students are also immigrants and mothers of grown children rediscovering the joy of making art for themselves. When she introduced her art class to landscapes, there was a rush of positive feedback. In March 2020, as the pandemic cancelled her classes, she started to paint more landscapes. In addition to teaching others, Sammy contributes to the community that supported her journey as a Korean immigrant woman. In June 2020, Sammy led a workshop on Instagram marketing for her fellow Simple Steps artists. Her works in acrylic capture natural scenes in photo-like detail. Her art was influenced by her experience living in California, and her work includes the California beach and the skyscapes of the Bay Area. Her paintings reveal her fascination in the colors of the Californian atmosphere.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I find moments of beauty in nature by taking pictures. I am intrigued and touched by the sunrise and sunset. They are fleeting but can generate peace and healing. My landscape paintings are invitations to nature where people can relax. I do not include human figures so that viewers can place themselves in the painting and have a moment to think about their own lives. My process centers around these first crucial steps. I print my photos out, put them on a wall and observe the emotions that each of them portrays. I spend much time editing my images to reflect what I envision. I enjoy creating photorealistic images containing meanings that I can connect to. I wish that people who see my paintings experience the peace and quiet I feel when I paint. I work during the quiet as my family sleeps because it takes time and patience to paint acrylic in a realistic style. What is more significant to me is to maximize my feelings and create a piece of art that will stir a sense of peaceful tranquility in the viewer.
Website: colorstorysammy.com
Instagram: @colorstory_sammy