Being surrounded by Shumaker ’ s oil paintings was , admittedly , a little intimidating . Just about every one of them illustrated a powerful female , and the sheer size and realism of her style made it seem as if they could walk right off the canvas . The self-taught painter , or “ YouTube-taught ” as she put it , has an affi nity for minute details reminiscent of Italian Renaissance artists . “ I love the [ classical ] style because there ’ s nothing left to the imagination ,” she explained . “ Every detail is planned , which I like because I am a very detail-oriented person .” An excellent example of this can be found in her piece Doomsday Clock , where even the pupils of the female subject are shaped like gears , tying in with the clock motif that is depicted on the woman ’ s face .
“ I don ’ t want to make pretty art ; I want to make a message ,” Shumaker explained . “ Each piece has its own story . From a conversation with a stranger , to something I see on TV or hear in a song .” Much of her art balances a classical portrait with surrealist elements , and , in the case of Doomsday Clock , a message of approaching demise . Her piece Promethea captures the story of Prometheus in a female form , focusing on her victory of the procurement of fi re , but the fl ock of black birds looming informs the latter part of the story , and her inevitable punishment . Each work carries a weight with it , much like those same old myths used to teach morals .
Despite her impressive skill and dedication , typically spending a few weeks of eight-hour days working on each canvas , the young artist wasn ’ t always going to be a painter . Shumaker was initially going to school to be a teacher , but after taking humanities courses and continuing her love of painting on the side , she was pushed to take the leap . However , she didn ’ t
Doomsday Clock , oil on canvas
Bathory , oil on canvas
want to go into it without a realistic expectation . “ I read a lot of books about the art business , and [ made ] a fi ve-year plan .” It was important to her to show her family that there was a way to do what she loved while still being able to support herself . She knew she wouldn ’ t become the next big thing overnight , but considering she has already sold quite a few pieces , she has proved that she can be successful and , in turn , has earned the support of her loved ones .
When she isn ’ t painting , she is creating time-lapse videos of her work on her YouTube channel , ShumakerArt . Posting online allows her art to reach an audience much wider than the limited number of people who might make it to a gallery . “ Surreal Dark Art Vampire Portrait ,” featuring her work Bathory , is a particularly captivating video . Inspired by the serial killer Elizabeth Báthory , it is mesmerizing to watch hours of work on this painting compressed into a fi ve-minute span . Her favorite part of using the popular video client is the instant interaction she can have with viewers , providing further information when they have questions , allowing her “ innate teacher ” to come through .
Samantha Shumaker will be showing at the Henao Contemporary Center
5601 Edgewater Dr , Orlando , FL 32810 on March 11 , 2016 , at 7pm
You can see more at : ShumakerArt . com
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