Generosity in art is essential. Share your experience with emerging artists who seek advice. Help them understand their career growth, pricing, and, most importantly, how to find galleries that will exhibit their paintings.
As a part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist” I had the pleasure of interviewing Samir Sammoun.
Samir Sammoun is a Canadian-Lebanese painter and sculptor. Throughout his career, his artistic work has received numerous accolades from his peers, art critics, and the public. Sammoun’s artistic approach is inspired by his love of nature, his commitment to peace, global harmony, and multiculturalism.
Having mastered his unique art style, his works are represented by prestigious galleries in the United States, Canada, and Europe, as well as featured in museum exhibitions and included in permanent museum and corporate collections.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born on August 10, 1952, in a quaint Lebanese village atop Chouf Mountain, 40 km south of Beirut. To this day, I vividly recall the colorful Mediterranean landscape of my childhood.
At the age of 21, I emigrated from Lebanon to Canada, where I obtained degrees in electronic engineering and telecommunications. Since graduation, I have pursued both my professional career and my passion for painting.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I painted in my youth, using watercolors in elementary school, which I enjoyed immensely. I created my first oil painting at the age of 13 — just for fun — but deep inside, it brought me great relief and joy. However, it was never my intention to become a professional artist.
I attended high school at the Art and Craft School in Beirut, earning a technical degree in electronics in 1969. I then worked with Kodak near East Beirut for two years before deciding to immigrate to Canada to study engineering. Once I completed my studies in 1978, I found a job in telecommunications engineering. In the early 1980s, I picked up my brushes again and, by the late 1980s, had discovered my unique style. Collectors loved my work, so I pursued two careers — engineering and art. The latter became my full-time profession in the early 2000s, as collectors were eager to acquire my paintings and galleries showed interest in representing my art.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Artexpo New York has been a major milestone in my career. I first participated in the historic fair in 1996, and 2025 will mark my 30th consecutive year exhibiting at the show without missing a single year. It was at Artexpo New York that I met all the galleries that exhibit my art today in the USA, Canada, and Europe.
Artexpo is a place where artists showcase their creations, collectors come to discover new works — and if they love them, they buy. Galleries also attend, searching for new artists to complement their collections. If they see potential, they invite artists to represent them. That’s exactly what happened to me, and I am very happy with the outcome.
At Artexpo, you experience the opportunity to meet other artists. One such meeting was in 2017 with Dr. Yaryna Yuryk, an Honored Artist of Ukraine, whom Authority Magazine wrote about in 2023. We are doing the dual representation at other prestigious art fairs as well. The latest was the LA Art Show in 2025, which, like me, was celebrating its 30th anniversary.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I am currently working on three exciting projects:
First, to pursue my “Fountain of Peace” project. I have created a bronze sculpture of an olive tree, symbolizing peace, which I envision being installed in public spaces. My goal is to see this project realized on a monumental scale, serving as a lasting reminder — especially for younger generations — of the importance of peace.
Second, to increase my international exposure by participating in major art shows across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Third, expanding the museum representation of my paintings (a list of museums can be found on my Wikipedia page) through exhibitions and having my works included in their permanent collections.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
A collector who bought three of my works in 1993. Later, he was going through difficult financial issues, so I offered to buy the paintings back. His response was, “How can I part with them when I talk to them every morning when I wake up? That was very touching “
The great artist Marcel Favreau, who lived to be 100, and we began showing together at Artexpo in 1996. I was 44, and he was 75. He was a living example of passion for life and art, starting to do shows at the age of 75, long after most people had retired. He became a dear friend, and we often went on plein air painting sessions together, enjoying lunch and a bottle of wine while painting the landscape.
Vincent van Gogh has been a significant inspiration in my art. Although I could not meet him in person, only through his paintings, I can say that I have interacted with him in my mind. I feel deeply connected to the atmosphere he lived in and his distinctive approach to painting.
Where do you draw inspiration from? Can you share a story about that?
According to collectors and art critics, I have a unique post-impressionist style and technique, often classified as modern impressionism. My work is characterized by a rich palette of up to 30 tones and shades. I use soft, round brushes and primarily paint on rough jute and linen canvas — strong materials capable of holding the generous layers of oil paint I apply to create depth and texture and to create a backdrop. Before I begin painting, I carefully prepare the canvas with burnt sienna and burnt umber, applied with a pig-bristle brush. My goal is to allow the grain of the canvas to remain visible, creating the illusion of light emanating from within the painting. My wet-on-wet technique involves fast strokes of color, layered side by side and on top of each other, while leaving portions of the initial coat exposed — depending on the subject.
As a primarily landscape artist, my repertoire includes willows, apple trees in bloom, wheat fields, olive trees, villages, storms, cityscapes, and seascapes. My paintings convey a tranquil, joyful mood, reflecting my deep love for life. I strive to make the viewer feel the color of the sky, the temperature of the air, and the breeze moving through the apple trees or wheat stalks.
My art is best viewed from a distance of a few feet. Up close, my work may appear abstract, but as the viewer steps back, the depth and three-dimensional relief become clear. I rarely use classical perspective. My initial sketch consists of a few blotches outlining shadows and basic reference points — images I have already envisioned many times in my mind. The painting process follows an automatist approach, relying on previous strokes and evolving organically. The final result emerges only at the end, as layers of light are strategically placed according to the texture created.
I instinctively know where the impact should be in each painting. At times, it feels as though the canvas evolves on its own. Through this process, I feel as if I am playing with the fate of my renderings, harnessing the destiny of each composition. Perhaps this is why critics describe my technique as modern impressionism. You can see that in my paintings. I draw my inspiration from the places I have lived in, visited, and fallen in love with. My birthplace, Joun, Lebanon, where I used to help harvest olive groves every October in my youth. This is why I frequently paint olive groves — just as Van Gogh did. My mother’s hometown, Alman, where I would visit my grandmother on weekends. Located about 20 miles from Joun in the Chouf Mountains, Alman is famous for its cypress trees, which often appear in my paintings. The Mediterranean shore, with its sunburned grass turning golden yellow, contrasting beautifully with the deep blue of the sea. This harmony of colors is something my collectors love. New York and Central Park, which inspire my paintings of cherry blossoms set against towering skyscrapers. Boston, with its parks and cafés that capture a timeless charm. Paris, especially the Champs-Élysées at night — a subject that has become a major series in my work. London, where the iconic Houses of Parliament have inspired my cityscape paintings. Tuscany, with its rolling hills and poppies fields. Brossard, my town, particularly Rhône and Sorbonne Parks. These locations inspired my Walking with Giants autumn series and my snow scenes. La Prairie, my wife’s hometown, with its charming old city and historic church. Montérégie, near my home, with its vast natural landscapes. Montreal, especially its cityscapes covered in snow. Île d’Orléans, with its stunning mustard and lupine fields.Sunny Isles Beach, where I paint serene beach scenes. Whatever scene I paint, it is one that I have lived, felt, and adored.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I am a man of peace, and my art conveys the beauty of nature and the importance of living in harmony and respect with one another. All of my work is a representation of what Mother Nature displays before our eyes. As artists, we strive to capture these scenes on canvas with our emotions and unique styles.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1. Every painting should be infused with your emotions and sensory memories. The atmosphere, colors, scents of the earth, flowers, trees, and herbs, the feel of the wind, and the temperature — all these elements bring authenticity to your work and create the aura of the scene. Whether painting en plein air or in the studio using sketches or photos you took, your senses will guide you to render the scene with truth and depth on the canvas to the best of your ability.
2. Always experiment and evolve, but stay true to what you have mastered. Your collectors, galleries, and critics will connect with the continuity of your artistic journey. Build upon your achievements by refining your technique, exploring new subjects, and, most importantly, enjoying the process. Evolution should feel like an organic extension of your work, not a forced departure from what defines you.
3. Work and paint as long as your body and mind allow. Passion and dedication have no retirement age. Creativity continues to grow as long as you nurture it. There is no limit to artistic creation, as long as you are willing to paint.
4. Be humble, listen to your collectors, the public, your art dealer, and art critics. Always receive criticism with a positive attitude and keep what you believe is good to improve your body of work. Ask for opinions from a person you trust and who is not afraid to tell the truth. In my case, my wife, Yvette Charron, gives me the final opinion on every painting I do, and when she says, “Finished, sign it,” I am happy to hear that.
5. Generosity in art is essential. Share your experience with emerging artists who seek advice. Help them understand their career growth, pricing, and, most importantly, how to find galleries that will exhibit their paintings.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I paint the beauty of our Mother Nature. Preserving nature from pollution and destruction is a very important message I want to convey. I believe humanity is distorting nature. It is a simple equation: extracting oil and coal from the depths of the earth and then burning them in the atmosphere will undoubtedly have severe consequences for our planet. How long will it take to recover? Only God knows.
We have been blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she just might see this.
It would be with individuals who have made significant contributions to peace, humanity, or intellectual discovery. A Nobel Peace Prize winner — without naming a specific person, my preference would be for someone recognized for efforts in eradicating nuclear weapons from the face of the earth.
Golf player Jordan Spieth — he is my favorite golfer, and I admire him not only for his talent but also for his humanity in caring for his sister with special needs. And if I could bring him back, Einstein — just to ask him how he came to think about E=mc² formula. If I could bring her back, my dear mother.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
IG: @sammounsamir
My website is https://sammoun.com/
My Artsy profile is at https://www.artsy.net/partner/sammoun-fine-arts
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Samir Sammoun: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.