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Sam Weeks
Website:
'@samweeksartist
Mountain
Circles 2
Fire Above, Water Below
Biography
Weeks’ creative mission, both in the short and longer term, is to continue making work that genuinely interests her; she hopes to push her practice further and avoid tried and tested formulae, whether of subject matter, methodology or aesthetic. Play, experimentation and risk-taking are key to this pursuit, as they open up new areas of creative development. Weeks admits to having always been a little rebellious, wanting to rail against finding an artistic groove and staying in it, saying ‘I hope to retain my authenticity and integrity by following my own path, rather than ‘playing to the gallery’. Feeling truly aligned to my process and finished work is non-negotiable.’
inspiration
Weeks is always on the lookout for inspiration and themes to build her next series of work around. She often works in series, as this enables her to delve deeper into a subject than she can in one-off paintings. Weeks’ creative inspiration can come from anywhere, and over many years she’s developed a habit of ‘noticing what I notice’, consciously recognising things that grab her attention, however big or small. It could be a fragment of bright blue plastic on the floor, a word or phrase, a conversation, a song lyric, a motif; seemingly unconnected things start to form a constellation of ideas that percolate and distil into a theme. Weeks calls this process ‘following the trail of breadcrumbs’; she says it’s an unpredictable and random approach, but works like a charm, trusting in it wholeheartedly always leads her along intriguing, previously untrodden paths.
medium
Weeks paints in acrylics as they best suit her technique – their quick drying time and compatibility with other media enables her to create limitless textures and effects. She paints primarily on wood panels, as their solidity withstands the sanding, abrading, scratching, and scraping methods she uses. Applying and removing paint with a variety of non-art-specific equipment, such as dentistry tools, wire wool, cutlery, toothbrushes etc is central to Weeks’ practice; anything which creates a different or unpredictable mark is up for grabs.
Building her paintings in multiple layers and glazes, Weeks applies clear acrylic medium to create the appearance of depth, and often finishes her paintings with gloss varnish to heighten the colours and sensory quality of her work – viewers often ask if they can touch her paintings, as they have a unique ‘boiled sweet’ quality.