Fearless Abstract Painting & Meditation Retreats: Unleash Your Creativity in Salt Lake City!3/28/2024
 Exciting news! Join us for Fearless Abstract Painting & Meditation retreats in Salt Lake City, Utah in partnership with Workshop SLC.
Fearless Abstract Painting w/ Metallics: Dates: June 7th-9th, 2024 Times: Friday 6:00pm - 8:30pm / Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Cost: $695 (all supplies included) Level: All levels No prior art experience needed Register now at: https://www.workshopslc.com/schedule/fearless-abstract-painting-with-metallics-2024 Paint BIG. Paint FEARLESS: Dates: October 4th-6th, 2024 Times: Friday: 6:00pm - 8:30pm / Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Cost: $695 (all supplies included) Level: All levels No prior art experience needed Register now at: https://www.workshopslc.com/schedule/paint-big-paint-fearless-with-samantha-dasilva-2024  Today brought a whirlwind of emotions as I received the incredible news that one of my poems will soon be etched on a sidewalk in my beloved city, all thanks to the Sidewalk Poetry: Senses of Salt Lake City public art project.
In that moment, tears of joy mingled with a profound sense of validation. After nearly 40 moves, this recognition feels like a powerful affirmation of belonging. It's a beautiful reminder that roots can flourish in unexpected soil, and that our most meaningful journeys often circle back to where we truly belong. My heart is overflowing with gratitude towards the Salt Lake City Arts Council for granting me this remarkable opportunity.  When a part of you breaks with good intentions, I've learned it often leads to something even more captivating than before. Canvases, to me, yearn for those unexpected tears and punctures; they've held my fascination for over 15 years. Once, someone asked me about a canvas adorned with such "imperfections," wondering if anger drove my hand. Quite the opposite. I see these fractures as the essence of our true beauty.
In the realm of Japanese art, there's Kintsugi, a practice that resonates deeply with me. It's about repairing broken pottery with gold or other precious metals, highlighting the beauty of the imperfections and the rich history they carry. It's a powerful reminder that our scars and flaws are not blemishes but rather marks of resilience and growth.  Embarking on a road trip through Montana, the Treasure State, was truly idyllic. Amidst its diverse terrain, from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains, I dropped off two large-scale diptych paintings for One & Only Moonlight Basin luxury resorts, paying homage to the sacred land they originated from. Montana's natural beauty, invites contemplation of our smallness in the vastness of it all. The clean air and expansive vistas serve as a reminder of our place in the world, urging us to embrace the transient beauty that surrounds us. Immense gratitude to Echo Arts for making this dream a reality.
 Ecstatic to share: En route with large-scale diptych paintings for One & Only Moonlight Basin luxury resorts! Crafted using local, organic materials – from local newspapers to Montana's foraged soil and sawdust. Immense gratitude to Echo Arts for making this dream a reality!
"Thoughts on Forever", mixed media on canvas, 56" x 42" each  Embracing the mantra "be truthful, gentle, and fearless" in my studio journey for years – a guiding light that transcends into life itself. A timeless reminder for us all.
 Excited to share the arrival of 7 new pieces at Gallery Mar, Park City today! The highlight? "Butterfly Waltz" found a new home within hours of its arrival. Immensely thankful for the amazing team and patrons at one of Park City's finest contemporary art galleries. #GratefulHeart
 I create large-scale, painting-like relief sculptures. The works feature peaks and valleys, cracks, rough and smooth surfaces, brilliant and opaque elements, and are evocative of eroded landscapes, time-weathered walls, and topographical maps. They are representative of a personal map-making and grounding process that examines the physical properties of my immediate surroundings.
The goal of this body of work is to explore themes of place, home, belonging, immigration, and the passage of time. I believe that these artworks serve as tools for orientation and provide a means for gathering information about the environment in which they are created. I aim to offer an alternative way of considering ‘place,’ and to question what it means to find and ground one’s self in new surroundings. |