about sam
After many years of all sorts of freelance art pursuits, I discovered graphic recording in 2012. My solo practice, based in Calgary, Alberta, is called The 23rd Story (see below for more on that).
Since then, I've worked with many clients from all over Canada, creating the "visual meeting minutes" to accompany conversations about all sorts of amazing conversations.
Thanks to the inspiring Paul Saltzman for this picture, taken in 2017 at Edmonton's Action Lab!
Since then, I've worked with many clients from all over Canada, creating the "visual meeting minutes" to accompany conversations about all sorts of amazing conversations.
Thanks to the inspiring Paul Saltzman for this picture, taken in 2017 at Edmonton's Action Lab!
about the 23rd story
Why "The 23rd Story"?
My work is always inspired by the real-life stories around me. And for the last 17 years, I've lived on 23rd Avenue in the Calgary neighbourhood of Ramsay.
I think the story of 23rd Avenue is part of my story. Living on this street has shaped me as an artist and as a person.
And, it's a joke about how there are always so many more stories to tell... a great name for a blog. Funny, right?
What does the 23rd Story have to do with the "23rd Avenue Artwalk & Street Celebration"?
I organized the 23rd Avenue Artwalk in September 2012. We needed a website for our event, and I had just purchased this domain, which wasn't being used yet. So I used it for our event website. You can still see all the event info here, and if we ever decide to have another artwalk, we might just use this site again. But now there are a few other things on this site as well, such as links to my (old! clunky!) portfolio site (thedrawingbook.com) & to another awesome local arts initiative I have contributed to (finditcalgary.ca).
My work is always inspired by the real-life stories around me. And for the last 17 years, I've lived on 23rd Avenue in the Calgary neighbourhood of Ramsay.
I think the story of 23rd Avenue is part of my story. Living on this street has shaped me as an artist and as a person.
And, it's a joke about how there are always so many more stories to tell... a great name for a blog. Funny, right?
What does the 23rd Story have to do with the "23rd Avenue Artwalk & Street Celebration"?
I organized the 23rd Avenue Artwalk in September 2012. We needed a website for our event, and I had just purchased this domain, which wasn't being used yet. So I used it for our event website. You can still see all the event info here, and if we ever decide to have another artwalk, we might just use this site again. But now there are a few other things on this site as well, such as links to my (old! clunky!) portfolio site (thedrawingbook.com) & to another awesome local arts initiative I have contributed to (finditcalgary.ca).
a few more notes, in case you're interested
comics I write and draw autobiographical comics. They have been published in a few places such as The Sprawl, a Calgary-based independent journalism outlet. Between about 2002-2010, I tried to accumulate most of them (kinda sporadically) on my portfolio website, thedrawingbook.com. For a few years, I wrote a monthly strip for my community newsletter, some of which I posted here on my blog. I'm also part of a group of local comics creators called Panel One. |
writing
I've published a couple of peer-reviewed academic essays & articles about Young Adult Fiction, one of my favourite subjects in the world. You can read one of those essays here (with pictures too!) |
painting Between 1999 and 2012 I did a lot of portraiture and mural painting. In 2006 I was a "top finalist" in the Portrait Society of Canada's annual international portrait competition at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. You can see some of my art here, on my old portfolio website. |
