Meet Our Member: Sammy Koh
Meet Sammy Koh, an artist of the Simple Steps Artist Group. Sammy is also a former staff member, who worked on our initial logo design and poster design for our first art exhibition. She majored in graphic design in Korea and spent 10 years raising children in the United States. While looking for something that she would enjoy, Sammy became a landscape artist. Covid-19 came with many difficulties, but here is the story of an artist who is overcoming those difficulties by traveling, the natural wonders of California, and landscape painting.
“I met landscape painting through a portrait class I tried. My landscape paintings are my way to invite people to relax. I hope people feel comfortable when enjoying my paintings.”
Q. Was there a reason you recently started painting again?
K. I majored in graphic design in college and worked as a freelancer for children’s illustration, workbooks, books, and theater posters afterward. I also worked at a publishing company that made children’s books in English. When I came to the US, I dedicated myself to my life as a mother, raising my two children. People used to ask, “What are you doing, Sammy?” And I would answer, “I feel a little lost.” As my children got older, I wanted to end the wandering, so I started drawing portraits. I liked meeting people and drawing with other people, so I opened a portrait class and started teaching. Then some students wanted to try still life and landscape, so I drew some samples. I fell in love with the wonders of nature. I’ve been capturing the familiar yet unfamiliar landscapes of California with my camera on my phone and then onto the canvas ever since.
Q. There’s a certain warmth to your paintings. Can you walk us through your creative process?
K. When I first started landscape paintings, I looked at other people’s photos on the Internet and drew them. However, it felt like something was missing, so I started taking pictures myself. My work—in the truest sense of the word—began when I went out myself and started painting with the photos I took. I could convey a wealth of emotions once I started seeing and feeling nature myself. I usually look for the scenery when the sun rises and sets. When the sun goes down, there are people in the streets, so I prefer mornings when it’s relatively more peaceful. That way, I can only think about the composition of the picture and fully focus on myself.
These days, when I go to the beach, usually around sunrise, there is no one, so it’s nice to take pictures. There is only a-half to an hour window to a day when the light is beautiful in the morning and evening. The light is best during sunrise, not in the direction where the sun rises, but the pink sky opposite to it. I don’t like the color pink much, but the pink sky is different—it's not something you see every day, which makes it all the better because it’s different from the sky we typically know. I get the most comfort when the sunlight touches the world—not in the strong sunlight, but the warm glow that gently caresses the earth. I try to express that in my paintings.
My work may feel warm because I always have my daughter with me when I take pictures.
Q. Are you always with your daughter when traveling for photography?
K. The first time I started taking pictures was when the Covid-19 lockdown started. I was a bit afraid to go out alone, so I went with my daughter from the beginning.
My daughter likes to travel with me. She also likes the hues of dawn. She herself became interested in photography after hanging out with me. Sometimes we go separate ways and meet later—she takes pictures with a DSLR on her own, while I do the same with my iPhone. It’s nice to share my hobbies with her like that. Philz Coffee, my most popular work at L’Diff right now, is also from a picture my daughter took. It would have been scary if I had been alone at dawn, but I think the warmth that exudes from my paintings is in part because my daughter accompanies me.
Q. Do you have any elements or techniques you consider when choosing the scenes to paint?
K. When I first started taking pictures, I wasn’t sure what to do. So I looked at many photos on Instagram asking, "What are the pictures I am impressed with?" I found I didn't like the wild side of nature where there are no people at all. My paintings feature many houses and structures. I’m drawn to them because they contain the stories of people. I feel that the narrative of a human-planted tree is more compelling than that of a tree in a mountain. It’s about looking for a landscape close to human life, a comforting nature not too far away. This is the sort of nature that we tend to pass by without noticing in our busy lives. Once we pay attention to it, we realize its beauty. I want to draw that beauty and tell its story to my audience through my paintings.
Q. The source of warmth of your work seems to be your gaze toward people. Do you think of it a lot when taking photos or painting?
K. First, I keep looking at my paintings. From the time I pick a picture to draw, I choose something that I won’t easily get bored with. I hope that the people who will later enjoy my work feel the same way and enjoy it for a long time without getting tired of it. When I look at the pictures intensely, distracting thoughts disappear and wonderful memories come to mind.
The real but surreal colors of my paintings can also be linked to dreams and hopes. I feel like I’ll be able to achieve my dreams when the sky turns to that beautiful shade of pink. Then my dream doesn’t feel so empty anymore—it becomes more real, something that contains more hope. The colors of the morning, which manifest in only a 30-minute window, seem to evoke various emotions. I sometimes say to myself, “If I hadn’t seen this, I would have lived without knowing this beautiful light until I died." I want my audience to receive the warm comfort that nature offers through my paintings, and I hope many people will go experience the actual nature and get comfort from that.
Q. You talked about happiness. In contrast, are there any difficulties while drawing?
K. I don’t think there is anything difficult when I’m drawing. I like to challenge myself and achieve something, even in the face of difficulties.
It takes a long time to paint these detailed landscapes. Sometimes I draw each leaf in great detail, just like the real thing. But that process is a sort of meditation for me. It takes a long time, but I feel actually happier that way because I know I spent that much time on myself. Until now, I have lived only as a mother. I am extremely happy that I get to spend more quality time with myself like this. The longer the drawing time is, the happier I am.
I find it hard to advertise my work because I didn’t major in painting and I don’t know any active artists in the United States. But I enjoy challenges, so I’m trying different things. I tell myself that it’s ok to not know something because I’m only beginning and that it’s ok to fail. Should I fail, I can always try something else and start again. I really feel blessed to have this chance in my life.
Now, I have more things to include on my resume. I am going to have an online exhibition soon, and a group exhibition will be held next month in LA. I believe that if you achieve your goal one by one, you will solve whatever problem that lies ahead.
Q. In a way, you expanded to another genre because of Covid-19. What advice would you give to people who cannot do what they want and are suffering because of Covid-19?
K. I think I’m truly lucky to have discovered what I like. As for advice, I’d tell people to try several things to find what you like, even if it’s not exactly related to what you’re doing now. I also want people to experience the healing power of nature. That’ll give them the energy to start over.
Covid-19 forces people to be only with their family all the time, and this can be very stressful. If I had only painted at home, it would have been very frustrating and difficult. But now, even if I go out for a day, I call it a trip. When I go out in the early hours, I plan the whole thing just like a trip—setting the route and searching for places to go. These outings help me cope with the situation.
Recently, I looked at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge from various locations, different from the well-known angles, and it was great. I also went to Shoreline Park near my house, and it was so pretty there. I drew a tree and the pink sky from a picture taken there. I hope others will go outside too and get recharged from nature.
Q. Are there any places you would like to draw in the future?
K. Arizona’s cacti are on my list. I’ll be there as soon as I can get on the plane. Many people liked the painting of a cactus that I drew for the first time, and cactus is one of my favorite subjects.
There are so many things I want to paint. I keep searching. There are many places near where I live that I am still not very familiar with. I also want to visit famous beaches again. I think it would be nice to look at them again with a new perspective.
I am also looking for places that illustrate the changes of the season. There are places in California where sunflowers are the prettiest or lavender fields. Ever since I started taking my own pictures, I have started to recognize changes in nature that I hadn't noticed. I heard that the sun in California looks yellower in winter. It’s fun to learn such things. I think I will focus on California for another year, and I want to expand to other states and Korea afterward.
Q. How are you involved with Simple Steps?
K. I knew Doyeon, the founder, so I got involved with Simple Steps. At first, I wanted to help out. After an exhibition, a group of artists was formed. It felt so good to be called by my name and not addressed as someone’s mom. Because of my English, it was difficult to find a group of artists that I could take part in, so being able to engage in a conversation about artworks and art with fellow Koreans felt comforting. They inspired me to start something myself, so I want to show them that I am working hard too.
Most immigrants experience a lot of anxiety and discomfort due to a lack of information and connections. I hope we can encourage each other and overcome those difficulties. I was able to start over like this as my children got older. For those of you who have young children, it may be more difficult, but I hope to inspire you with my example. Say the following to yourself: “If she can do this, I will later be able to do it myself.” I hope this helps other people to endure a difficult time. I hope to grow together with other people within the Simple Steps community.
Sammy says that she is excited to have discovered what she likes to do. Covid-19 was an opportunity for her to capture the quiet landscapes California offers with her camera and transfer them onto the canvas. She considers every outing a special trip and paints the dreamy sceneries that she encounters. Check out the warm colors of comfort in her paintings on Sammy’s Instagram and website.
Interview date: March 16, 2021
Translated by Jiyoon Yoo
