Artist Study: Sam Wolfe Connelly

As you can all guess by now, Sam has been interested in art since he was a child. Since it has played such a large role in his life, he urges to “follow your passion” and let nothing else such as money or difficulty get in your way. Let the art be the only factor driving you to what you want to be. He used these skills himself when experimenting with media and style of art he was interested in. Sam recommends to “ ignore what other peoples opinions were” and focus on what felt right for him. Much like Byron Merrill and many other artists I have interviewed, Sam notes that going to art college was a critical time in figuring out where he wanted to take his career and grow. It’s also not a bad place to branch out and meet other fine artists with similar goals and tastes. Mr.Connelly’s focus has shifted through the years from just the simple love of art to a slightly more restricted side of how to pay the bills. Although this sounds like big brother has finally gotten to him, he notes that it is important to integrate your personal creativity with (pardon the hostile word) the assignment. Sam has a rather self sustained way of living and falls on the relaxed side of the scale compared to other artists who keep a more rigid schedule. The trick to his simple style is that he usually “[wakes] up at noon and draw until [he goes] to sleep.” Now as this lax way of living may work for some of us, everyone is different and tends to set different boundaries or goals for ourselves. Aside from the friends he met at art school, gallery openings and parties in the city are another way to meet some artsy people. Sams final advice is to keep pushing for what you truly love, no matter how much rejection you may face.

As an artist, I would give Sam four out of five stars. His eerie work is very original and interesting to look at, not to mention the texture and impact of his work. Some of his works are a bit too grim for my style but creative and impactful nonetheless. When I first say his work I was much less impressed but now that I have taken the time to explore and take in a larger variety of his creations I really do enjoy them much more.