Sam Ralston

About Sam Ralston

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Art is a big part of my life. It gives me purpose and direction. I’ve always felt the need to be creative. It makes me feel different...in a very good way. 

When I first started painting, the objects in my paintings weren’t important. I was more interested in creating a mood with color and biomorphic shapes. The subjects were almost secondary. 

Now years later, the subjects have become much more important. I want them to be believable, not necessarily representational. I want them to be recognizable, even though most of my subjects don’t exist in nature. I like to combine the old with new or futuristic.

My biggest influences are: Science Fiction, Automobiles, Mechanical systems, Steampunk, H.R. Giger, M.C. Escher, Jacek Yerka, Syd Mead.

 

I was born in South Amboy, NJ, in 1967. After moving several times, my family settled in Monroe Township, NJ. I started painting in my early twenties. I dabbled in illustration while still in high school, but didn’t truly find my niche until the late 1980s, when I began taking classes at DuCret Art School in Plainfield, NJ. This is where I experienced my first oil painting class. I enrolled as a part-time student at Kean College in Union, NJ, in 1989. I took night classes to become an art teacher then changed my major to graphic design. Over the years, I’ve displayed my work in different venues and have won a number of awards. I’ve sold many paintings to private clients and have been commissioned on a number of occasions. I now work full-time as a graphic designer and paint in my free time.