Biography - Alex Shamson

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Biography
In 1959 in the USSR Alex Samson was born into a family of artists. His grandfather was an accomplished book illustrator, his grandmother painted and his mother is an art historian. “With paints and a brush, I would be absorbed for hours..." At age eleven he began his formal Fine Arts training at the Kiev Junior Art College, a middle school with intensive Fine Arts courses. When Alex turned sixteen he and his family immigrated to the United States, mainly because of on-going ethnic discrimination against Jews and to avoid the abuses that Jewish boys suffered in mandatory Soviet military service. Looking toward the future, his parents wanted to provide Alex with a good education, work opportunities and a place for his talents to develop. On the way to America Alex and his family stayed in Rome. The many historical and art treasures in Italy made a tremendous impact on Alex, especially the ancient and medieval architecture, which he captured on many canvases and sketchbooks. In the US the Samsons settled in Ohio and Alex decided to study Industrial Design at the Columbus College of Art & Design. This decision was a practical one for future employment, and a passionate one because of his fascination with the 3-dimensional nature of Product and Environmental Design.	Alex graduated from Philadelphia College of Art with a B.S. degree in Industrial Design. During his college years Alex continued to paint landscapes. Even though Art and Design are related Alex makes a clear distinction between the two disciplines. "Making Art is closer connected to Love - always an affair of the heart - free, uninhibited, neither right nor wrong. Colors, shapes and brush strokes reflect my emotions. Designing is about solving problems, requiring a systematic logical approach. Design decisions must be based on criteria set by some functional requirements. Design is the domain of the mind." He now has a design consulting company VRmill, Inc., offering computer graphics, virtual reality and web site design services. Alex fell in love with the Hudson Valley region of New York and settled there in 1991. His landscapes radiate his passion for the beauty of the area. Alex produces all his paintings "en plein-air", following the traditions of impressionists. When he goes painting, he takes his virtual mentors with him: his grandfather, Claude Monet, and Van Gogh (whom he resembles). “Sometimes I step back from the work in progress and ask Vincent, what he thinks of what I’m doing, and he shakes his head and says: “No, no, no, not like that!" - and then I’d know what I need to change." Copyright © 2020 Alex Samson • All rights reserved

• The Art of Alex Samson • Master Classes • Contact • Winter Series • Spring Series • Summer Series

Biography

In 1959 in the USSR Alex Samson was born into a family of artists. His grandfather was an accomplished book illustrator, his grandmother painted and his mother is an art historian. “With paints and a brush, I would be absorbed for hours..." At age eleven he began his formal Fine Arts training at the Kiev Junior Art College, a middle school with intensive Fine Arts courses.

When Alex turned sixteen he and his family immigrated to the United States, mainly because of on-going ethnic discrimination against Jews and to avoid the abuses that Jewish boys suffered in mandatory Soviet military service. Looking toward the future, his parents wanted to provide Alex with a good education, work opportunities and a place for his talents to develop.

On the way to America Alex and his family stayed in Rome. The many historical and art treasures in Italy made a tremendous impact on Alex, especially the ancient and medieval architecture, which he captured on many canvases and sketchbooks.

In the US the Samsons settled in Ohio and Alex decided to study Industrial Design at the Columbus College of Art & Design. This decision was a practical one for future employment, and a passionate one because of his fascination with the 3-dimensional nature of Product and Environmental Design.

Alex graduated from Philadelphia College of Art with a B.S. degree in Industrial Design. During his college years Alex continued to paint landscapes. Even though Art and Design are related Alex makes a clear distinction between the two disciplines. "Making Art is closer connected to Love - always an affair of the heart - free, uninhibited, neither right nor wrong. Colors, shapes and brush strokes reflect my emotions. Designing is about solving problems, requiring a systematic logical approach. Design decisions must be based on criteria set by some functional requirements. Design is the domain of the mind." He now has a design consulting company VRmill, Inc., offering computer graphics, virtual reality and web site design services.

Alex fell in love with the Hudson Valley region of New York and settled there in 1991. His landscapes radiate his passion for the beauty of the area. Alex produces all his paintings "en plein-air", following the traditions of impressionists. When he goes painting, he takes his virtual mentors with him: his grandfather, Claude Monet, and Van Gogh (whom he resembles). “Sometimes I step back from the work in progress and ask Vincent, what he thinks of what I’m doing, and he shakes his head and says: “No, no, no, not like that!" - and then I’d know what I need to change."