I had never done this in front of an audience before: I wanted my class to experience what it was like to see someone paint "in the flow" - Led by SPIRIT VS. the rational MIND. So I became the teacher I wish I had had: I turned off the lights, took off my shoes, turned up my favorite music, stretched, took deep breaths and allowed my body to be guided and moved by Source. The results? MAGIC. Nearly everyone in the room (including me, of course) stared wide, blinking back tears.

When we're vulnerable, brave & fearless, we give others the opportunity to do the same. To say this class was "special" would be an extreme understatement. Our hearts and minds were open, eager to make new connections, push beyond our preconceptions and express ourselves as authentically as we possibly could. 

"You will never feel ready for the blessings that scare you most. Readiness has nothing to do with it." Jaiya John

Thank You Alpine Art & Frame for hosting a beautiful Opening Reception for Diptych: A 2-Part Art Exhibit. After so many opportunities to stay home, meeting in person feels like an extreme luxury. Even as an introvert, I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to connect with my community. Thank You to the family & friends who came out to show their support & Susan Bonosconi for curating such a dynamic show. Missed it? The exhibit runs until March 30th. 

Painting w/ Intention: It's not enough to make something beautiful. For me, the HOW & WHY something is made is of imperative value. My new series of paintings explores positive affirmations to navigate our choices ON & OFF the canvas. 

Thank you Workshop SLC for featuring my work! Over my 14-year career, I've had many opportunities to be interviewed. However, I felt that these questions were on a different level. I had so much fun answering them. I hope they inspire you to paint FearLESS.

​Read the full article: https://www.workshopslc.com/blog/spotlight-interview-with-samantha-dasilva-workshop-slc-artist-in-residence-and-fearless-abstract-painter

​​​Life is short. Death is quick. Yesterday morning I received the devastating news that my friend & colleague died by suicide. My heart sank. My body shook from head to toe. My legs gave way and I collapsed to the ground in shock & disbelief.​

There are some places, people & activities that make me feel  A  L  I  V  E . My recent excursion to Yelapa provided me with plenty of opportunities to experience being uncomfortable (compostable toilets, scorpions, motion sickness, etc.) yet I was extremely happy. A potent reminder to me that being comfortable does not always equate to happiness & that the opposite is also true: Being uncomfortable does not have to equate to being unhappy. It is a choice. When we push ourselves beyond our preconceptions of what we think we can & cannot do, we gain an inner strength & stability that supersedes anything tangible.

My most recent series of paintings explores positive affirmations as navigational tools to decision making on & off the canvas. 

In order to really understand a place, you have to experience it. In preparation for 4 large-scale commission paintings I made for a corporate client, I visited Bryce Canyon National Park for the first time. Utah colors are reds, yellows & ochres juxtaposed against a brilliant blue sky. The landscape is other-wordly, reaching, flattened, undulating, expansive and harsh. The texture is rough, smooth, slippery and deceiving. The feeling is that one is very small and the landscape is truly sacred. 

4 large-scale commission paintings inspired by bold Utah colors, local landscape and texture for a corporate client in Lehi, Utah.