Sam Askin

Sam was born and raised in Townsville and has been creating art since an early age. Working first with Favardin Daliri, OAM, Sam learnt a strong base on using light and shadows, and knowing when to stop a piece so he didn’t “kill” it. By twelve, Sam had developed a love for oil painting, pastels and charcoal, winning his first art prizes at the Townsville Show and and a local art competition by the age of 14. Sam’s style was fostered by those that taught him during his childhood and remains consistent today.

During high school Sam exhibited in local galleries and competitions on a number of occasions. He was offered early entry to study art/design at James Cook University but chose an entirely different path and studied biochemistry instead. Sam worked as a research scientist for a number of years and is now a high school STEM teacher. He has recently taken the dive back in to creating art on a regular basis with his favourite mediums.

Sam is engrossed in pastels and experimenting with toning the vibrancy of colour. Rather than soft blending often characteristic of pastels, Sam often prefers to see an image for its basic sum of different colours and then overlay these until he achieves the perfect combination. To Sam, the same beauty exists in oils as well… the long drying time and amount of texture that can be applied lends itself perfectly to layering and crudely blending colours to express his view of a subject.

Sam specialises in creating seascapes, cityscapes and still life/botanical artworks. He takes inspiration from the many local beaches in his area, and the moments of town life in his region. Sam enjoys capturing fleeting points in time that may normally not be considered as significant; the translation to a modern-expressionist artwork conveying his interpretation of the subject. Sam’s enjoyment in art comes through the process of creation resulting in the final piece. He likens it to the satisfaction one feels after mowing a large lawn. If viewers of his art can resonate with the emotions he expresses in its creation, Sam feels he has met his creative objectives.