 Embodying simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. For the love of Tone, Texture & Sculptural elements. This piece lends a refined elegance to any interior space. #ThrowbackThursday
Elastic Heart, 2015 acrylic, gesso, plaster & fabric on canvas 30 x 30 in.  ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!
A modern twist to using metallic paints, powders & gold leaf April 9 & 10, 2022 FEARLESS METALLICS Workshop SLC, Salt Lake City, UT For more information & to register: https://www.workshopslc.com/schedule/fearless-abstract-painting-with-metallics-with-samantha-dasilva  How is your relationship with your canvas affecting the work that you do/don't do? Your relationship with your canvas can take many different forms. The results can be as varied as your intentions. A canvas can be (to name just a few): ceremony DREAMCATCHER drill sergeant ENEMY escape EXORCISM friend JOURNAL lover MEDICINE WHEEL mirror PLAYPEN sacred ritual STATUS SYMBOL therapist VISION BOARD wall decor YOGA MAT  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  My sincere thanks for the Lifelong Learning staff & students who demonstrated tender compassion in helping me navigate the news of my friend's death moments before I was scheduled to teach a full-day workshop at the University of Utah. A reminder to me of the power of community and our collective ability to ease each other's burden in times of crisis & need.  Looking Back. Looking Forward. Now more than ever, the world needs your unique expression of beauty & your fearlessness. In 2021, I taught 23 workshops spanning across 3 States & 2 Countries. This year, I'm pumping the breaks a bit - taking some time off to attend a soul rejuvenating yoga retreat in Mexico (just like I promised myself I would) & teaching only a handful of workshops close to home. If you've always wanted to experience/re-experience my in-person workshops, now is a good time. However, if you cannot attend, consider connecting with me for online instruction instead. I look forward to painting FearLESS with you in 2022. UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:  Touching Peace acrylic & mixed media on canvas 30 x 36 in. Think of a blank canvas as an empty plate. Now imagine yourself arriving at a great, big buffet full of delicious options. The options before you are things like: different colors, mediums, textures and perhaps even different techniques. What will you choose to put on your plate? There are many considerations, but your choices will depend largely on 3 things:  In a harmonious relationship with your canvas there is no "good", "bad", "right", "wrong", "beautiful", and "ugly". There is simply present moment experience, communion with Source, and experiencing bliss. In Hinduism, this is called Satchitananda. Moving beyond duality towards oneness.  A mandala is a symbolic picture of the universe. The mandala's purpose is to help transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones and to assist with healing. For our last night together in Costa Rica, we organized our paintings in the shape of a colorful mandala, and held a sacred fire ceremony to assist in letting go of anything that stood in the way of embracing fearlessness on and off the canvas. |
