MEET CHARLESTON ARTIST SAM SIDNEY! Sam welcomed us into her colorful home for our Spring ‘22 photoshoot. We were immediately obsessed with her fun felt prints and knew we had to work together - check our her take on our Best in Show and Vintage Postcard prints and read the full Q&A below!
1. Where did you grow up / Where do you live now? I grew up on Long Island, NY. Roslyn to be specific. We have called Charleston home for the past 15 years.
2. How did you know you wanted to become an artist, and in particular, a felt artist? For my whole life, I have considered myself to be an artist. It has always been who I am, and from a young age, what I wanted to be. There was never any other option. This is it! I always loved drawing and illustration. It wasn’t until Covid that I began my love affair with felt. During lockdown in the Spring of 2020, I was home with my 4 kiddos. We thought it would be fun to do a daily art project and post it on Instagram. One day we took out a small box of felt, we made some collages, and the rest is history. It was then that I knew we had stumbled upon something special.
3. How would you describe your personal style? My style is colorful, clean, simple and happy. This applies to my personal life and my work. I don’t do fussy or high maintenance. When I work, each piece is thoughtful and precise, there is nothing extra or unnecessary. This applies to my work, home and personal style.
4. Describe your most memorable moment as a felt artist so far? Hmmm? I feel so grateful to have had some many wonderful opportunities in such a short period of time. Andy Cohen buying one of my pieces was kinda awesome, and seeing it pop up on Instagram or television in his office feels great. My Dukes Mayo piece made it to their national commercial - which felt kind of epic. My artwork will also appear on an episode of “Mind for Design” on HGTV this Spring.
5. What has been your biggest struggle? I am a list person and I love to cross things off. I work off a list of rolling commissions so it’s been a struggle knowing that there's always work to be done. To be honest, this is one list I hope I never get to the bottom of.
6. What are your top 3 favorite felt portraits you have done so far? I love a good series of portraits. Some of my faves are the crew from Schitts Creek, Royal Tenenbaums, and the Beatles.
7. Your beautiful home in Charleston, SC, was the location for our Spring photoshoot - thank you for having us! - what was your inspiration behind the unique, standout decor and interior design? I always buy what I love. I love a good mix of high and low, new and old. I just think if i buy things I love it will just work. I try to keep it simple and only bring things into our home that I truly love, have a purpose, or bring us joy. It's kinda like the felt, each piece has a purpose and a balance of color and style.
8. What was your favorite, or most interesting/notable, part about collaborating with PC? I was super happy to have y'all use our house. Our house is colorful and welcoming. There's always kids here, and I'm grateful to share this with others.
9. How do you balance family and your growing business? Luckily, my kids are in school full time, even the little one. I try to get as much work as I can during the day while they are out of the house. Unfortunately, there's just not enough time in the day, so most nights I am at my desk working for a few hours. I think it's cool for them to see what I do and the hard work I put into this. Sometimes they join in and make their own projects.
10. Any sneak peeks or tidbits of what’s to come? Any future collabs or ventures that you can share? I am working with a wallpaper company which was something I was hoping to do. It’s scary partnering with someone and letting go of total control.
Shop the Spring '22 Collection!