Bold Color and Texture
About
Sami Ali is a modern representational artist who credits her passion for painting to her curious nature and her love of a challenge. Born in Vietnam, her family fled to America as part of the American Embassy rooftop evacuation in 1975 during the fall of Saigon. She lived in 5 different states before settling in Alaska, so through the years she learned to be adaptable, make friends, and find creative outlets for herself. It was not until she discovered oil painting that she felt a true outlet of expression. She never shies away from a challenge, so the challenge of alla prima painting, especially plein air painting, appealed to her sense of creativity and reward.
Sami starts all of her paintings ‘plein air’ (outdoors, on site). Her paintings are distinctive as the energy and conditions of her surroundings are conveyed in the marks she makes on canvas - you can tell she painted in the snow because of the unusual texture of the snow-mixed oil paint, and you can feel the calming movement of the waves in the rhythmic marks she makes when painting water. Her bold and whimsical approach to painting contributes to her modern style, as does her instinctive sense of color and textural use of paint. She understands that a purchase of fine art is an investment, and strives for mastery of her art to deliver high quality fine art, evoking memories for years to come.
If you’ve seen Sami paint plein air, you’ve probably noticed that she prefers working with palette knife for landscapes. Her portraits also have her characteristic use of palette knife as well as brushwork. She loves working in a wide landscape format as she sees the world through this dynamic lens, and she finds portrait painting analogous to completing the Sunday NY Times Crossword.
Sami garnered international media attention in 2022 for her show “The Mind of a Healthcare Worker During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, a collection 45 works (42 paintings and 3 sculptures) created during the pandemic. Please see the Menu above for the page about that show.
Sami’s painting of Jason Kelce (ft Taylor Swift and the Kelce Family) was discussed by Travis and Jason on their podcast, New Heights Show, (the number one podcast in America! Go Chiefs!) on February 2, 2024. Signed, numbered prints of the painting are available in “Store” above and ALL proceeds will go to Travis’s charity 87 and Running.
She is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and continues to practice at the busiest emergency room in Alaska. Sami spends most of her time between Alaska and Hawaii, both places where she is inspired by the ocean, and when not painting she can be found either in the kitchen making homemade eggrolls or on the river salmon fishing. Her husband Steve is simultaneously her biggest fan and most vocal critic; and their dog, Bella, is her plein air painting companion.
Follow her painting adventures on Instagram @sami_paints_
Exhibitions and Awards
September 2024 - Homer Council on The Arts, Homer, Alaska. Solo Show (“Death of Retail”)
August 2024 - Bear Gallery Exhibit, Fairbanks, Alaska. Solo Show (“Bouquet All Day: Flowers for My Friend, Fairbanks”)
May 5-11 2024 - Plein Air Southwest Juried Painting Competition Artist, Galveston, Texas
October 2023 - Winner Community Paint Out, Sedona Plein Air Festival
September 2023- International Gallery of Contemporary Art Exhibit “Season of Change.” Anchorage , Alaska
August 2023 Winner Plein Air Salon Beginner Category for “Squirrels Playground” - Judge
April 2023 Winner Plein Air Salon Beginner Category for “April Breakup” - judge Catherine Saks of Saks Gallery in Denver, CO
2023 Alaska State Parks Artist in Residence, May 2023
2023 Transformed Treasures People’s Choice Award
2023 Kodiak Crab Fest Art Poster Winner , ‘Sunrise in The Rock’- with Artist Signing Day
May 2023 Solo Show Blaine’s Art, “Winter Plein Air” Anchorage, Alaska
2022 American Medical Womens Association Kathryn Ko Artist In Residence Award. Sami was a recipient of the annual award and will work on art pieces to present at the 2023 AMWA Annual Meeting. The Katherine Ko AIR award was started in 2015 and promotes women members in the arts. The AIR will create art that is pertinent to AMWA and women in medicine
October 2022. Guest Speaker at the Alaska Nursing Association Annual Meeting. The Eventual Artist
July 2022 National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS) Associate Member Online Exhibition “Grassy Marsh”
May 8-13 2022 Plein Air Southwest Juried Painting Competition & Show. Galveston, Texas
March 2022 - “The Mind of a Healthcare Worker During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Providence Alaska Medical Center, Anchorage, Alaska
February 2022 - “The Mind of a Healthcare Worker During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” South Peninsula Hospital Gallery, Homer, Alaska. Solo Show
January 2022 - “The Mind of a Healthcare Worker During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Homer Council on the Arts, Homer, Alaska. Solo Show
2021 Second Place, Oil Painting - Professional Category - Alaska State Fair
Media
New Heights Podcast, “Bare-chested Paintings, Bracket Upsets, & Cinderella Runs” Bonus Video. February 2, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3spNFHKDRK8
US News and World Resort January 16, 2022
Anchorage Daily News ““Anchorage ER Doctor’s Paintings Follow the Passage of the Pandemic” Michael Armstrong. January 18, 2022
Homer News “Anchorage ER Doctor’s Paintings Follow the Passage of the Pandemic” Michael Armstrong. January 12, 2022
Homer News “HCOA Presents Pandemic Art Show by ER Doctor” Michael Armstrong. January 6, 2022
https://www.homernews.com/life/hcoa-presents-pandemic-art-show-by-er-doctor/
The Alaska Current “Sami Ali captures nature’s colors With Plein Air Painting.” September 19, 2023, Samantha Davenport
https://thealaskacurrent.com/2023/09/19/creative-currents-sami-ali-plein-air-painting/
https://thealaskacurrent.com/2023/09/19/creative-currents-sami-ali-plein-air-painting/
US Updates “Local Outdoor Artist, Sami Ali, Unveils ‘Seasons of Change’ Collection at North Gallery.
Galleries
Uncharted, Kodiak, Alaska
The Frame Shop, Kodiak, Alaska
The Gallery of Great Things, Waimea, Hawaii
Memberships
-
-
-
-
-
Item description
-
Item description
Photo credit: Lynn Roberts
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
-
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
