Rising Stars: Meet Samantha Niewierowski

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Niewierowski. 

Hi Samantha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Art and science are often thought to be incompatible, and growing up with a passion for both was often straining. In school and extracurricular circles, I was never able to find a sweet spot which incorporated both art and science. I would often have to choose between one or the other and have to develop my passions independently of each other. In college, I was asked to make this decision again and decided not to. I worked to forge a new path and bridge art and science together in a completely new and unique way: a way that would finally be true to myself, my passions, and my talent. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting out, there weren’t many avenues available to support my twin passions. I struggled to find support networks for both myself and my work. After making the decision to take a chance and study both geology and art in college, I was surprised by the significant lack of support and many barriers I encountered along the way. I had thought that having a creatively-minded researcher or an analytical artist in the room would lend a unique voice to my peers in both fields. Instead, I had professors who insisted I was wasting time by doing both and would have to choose between a career that would make me successful or a career that would make me happy. I even had instructors who would criticize my work for being too objective and uninspired when translating my field research to an abstract medium. No matter where I would run to, both worlds I considered home wanted nothing to do with someone who approached the world differently. I had thought science sought out the brave and believed art celebrated our differences. Through forging my own path, I have met other scientists, artists, and scientist/artists who feel similarly, and have felt that the cultures of both worlds are always changing for the better. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work is forged at the intersection of art and science. I work to create fine art in uniquely unusual mediums which center around my heritage and interests in geology. I aim to create nontraditional paleo art with the objective of being scientifically accurate and a conveyor for history while remaining artistically interesting. I love being able to stand at the precipice of a new age in paleoart and create bridge both to the practice’s past and to its future. 

One of my most successful works called “Chicken Feet” is a large pointillism work on canvas depicting giant chicken feet from the knee down that appear to step towards you menacingly. I designed it to appear from a distance as if they were the feet of a monstrous dinosaur such as the T-Rex, forcing the viewer to realize that the beasts of history still walk among us today. 

I also enjoy using found animal bones as a canvas for painting Wycinanki, a Slavic folk art style traditionally done with paper and shears. I love being able to take something often thought of as a symbol of death and use it as a canvas for work inspired by life. I believe this not only preserves a dying cultural art style but transforms it in a new way where the designs flow complimentary to the natural shape of the bones, creating a unique take on an old-world style while also exploring my own artistic cultural heritage. 

My work has led me to discover new and usual mediums and to tell stories through my work that have the ability to transcend time and space. 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I enjoy all media that is both entertaining and educational. I love being able to work on something while also listening to documentaries and stories about new and old discoveries, as I find it informs and inspires my work. 

Contact Info:

• Email: paleoartbynski@gmail.com
• Website: www.nskipaleoart.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/nski_paleo_art
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/NskiPaleoArt