About

Sam Francis is a Painter and Printmaker based in Hartford, CT. He earned his BFA in Painting with minors in Printmaking and Art History from the Hartford Art School.

Artist Statement

My focus has been completely pulled into the lush night world and it’s mysterious yet comforting qualities. These late hours have become a strange kind of safe space for me. When everything goes dark and quiet, I slow down, recharge, and am reminded of the grander things beyond me. It is so easy to get consumed by the anxieties of life and forget how profound the world is. These landscapes are grounding to me, bringing me back to the reality that this planet is vast and fascinating. There is so much more beyond us, a world full of life and curiosities. The night is a time where people can be themselves, without being seen and free of judgement. It welcomes you in and makes your problems feel a bit smaller. It is eerie yet relieving that we are just small specks on this huge planet. My goal is to capture an intensity that is true to how we experience life. 

It is important to me to bring life into my work, either through quick, expressive brushwork, or spiraling etched lines. My hope is to bring a sense of movement that mimics the air that flows around us, making leaves rustle and water dance. I gravitate towards slow, meditative processes, often starting with a light, gestural drawing, and building up a rich atmosphere through many layers. The places that I paint are not specific, but rather emptied out, vague, and meant to be familiar to others. I invite viewers to be taken back into their own memory bank and join me in a moment of solitude and reflection.