“I tend to do my best work in short, focused bursts. I’ve learnt not to force a painting if I’m not in the right frame of mind. Some pieces come together in just a few hours, while others take months- or even years. I rarely finish a painting in a single sitting. I’ll get most of it down, photograph it, and spend time studying it on my phone at home. It’s amazing how many things you notice on a screen that you miss standing in front of the actual canvas.”
To maintain clarity, McCubbin enforces a strict boundary between creation and business. “I keep my painting and my admin separate,” she explains. “The studio is purely creative. I handle all my website updates, emails, and business tasks from home.”
This disciplined structure has yielded significant milestones. Following a successful two-person exhibition at The Lemond Gallery in 2024, she was invited back for feature shows in 2025 and 2026. Her gallery representation has also taken her work international, regularly showing at the Affordable Art Fair in New York and shipping pieces to collectors worldwide.
“My collectors are a real mix,” she says. “Many return to buy additional pieces, while others discover my work through word of mouth. I love meeting local collectors in the studio, and I especially love when children help choose a piece for their family home. Ultimately, my collectors are people who connect with colour and texture, and who want to bring warmth and happiness into their space.”
Looking ahead, McCubbin’s vision extends beyond traditional gallery walls. Over the next five years, she plans to scale up her collection sizes, expand her international footprint, and explore brand collaborations- picturing her distinct floral abstractions translating seamlessly onto luxury perfume or wine packaging.
For emerging artists, her primary advice hinges on long-term perspective. “Building a career as an artist takes time,” McCubbin reflects. “You have to embrace both the high sales months and the quiet ones. The same applies in the studio. Some of the pieces I’ve been least convinced by have been tucked away for months, only to be brought back out, given a few small tweaks, and then sell almost immediately. Patience is everything.”
Website: samanthamccubbin.com (Subscribe to her newsletter for studio sales and original releases)
