Samira Butt: A Profile of a Self-Taught Artist


Picture


“For me art is a therapy, a way to disconnect with daily life and dive into my soul. ​It is my escape from this world”.
Samira’s life is influenced largely from a rich Indian cultural background, her parents told her wonderful stories, of magical beings, different realms, and adventures of days gone by. The Indian culture in the early 20th Century was alive, there was a sense of magic in the air. The array of colours found in the clothes that the women adorned themselves in or the breadth-taking architecture were a feast for the eyes and imagination.

Coming also from an academic family background, where both parents were teachers, Samira had a thirst for knowledge and if anything interested her she would study it further. From Linguistics, Psychology and Indian Head Massage to Reflexology, Reiki and Aromatherapy. Finally, training as a Teaching Assistant she settled into a promising career. This was a time of self-discovery, a time to gain knowledge of who she was. “Why are we really here?”
Samira’s life had a lot of ups and downs, her mother and father separating, her mother’s illness and looking after three young boys had taken its toll on her. She gave up work to look after her mother. This was the turning point in her life where art became her passion.

“I discovered painting after a very difficult period in my life. The urge to paint was so strong that I had to give it a go, which was surprising because I only ever used a brush for redecorating the walls. After trying it I loved it so much I could not stop”. 

She found solace in art and taught herself how to paint using different mediums, quickly. She experimented with oil paints, acrylics and watercolours. She also experimented with different brush strokes and textures, even encaustic art. It was a case of setting up her painting equipment and see how it develops.
Her inspiration came from all kinds of things; patterns on paper and cloth, other artists, paintings, pottery, even architecture.  However, nothing could beat nature; the designs and colours it brought inspired her endlessly.

“I love to garden too because it puts me in a meditative state, when I am working in it. My whole being feels revitalised”.

Loving the process of discovering new techniques, art became a fascinating journey with infinite possibilities.  It quickly became a personal, spiritual and a mystical element in her life.

“It is a great form of therapy though, especially when you put your heart and soul into it. Art is a form of healing for my mind and spirit, an extension of me”.
A person should not limit their lives. The creative potential is in everyone. Like everyone else, she too was worried about how people would react to her paintings. Would they appreciate her style and the bold colours she used? On the very first exhibition she was pleasantly surprised with the positive feedback she received from people. Some said her paintings gave them a feeling of enchantment and serenity, others felt transported into the painting, many could feel a beautiful aura emanating from her artwork, while others loved the use of her vibrant colours. 
    
From a self-taught artist, on a course of encountering ones inner self, this road has been a long, sometimes painful, yet equally rewarding one.
We all make plans for the future, taking steps with families and friends surrounding us. We all have seen and learnt from our past mistakes. Yet Art is not a mistake. Like life, we are aware of our actions, we are aware of what we do and say, and how it affects individuals and society. Art has the same result, it touches lives in ways we cannot fathom or understand.

People say that life is short, so why not enjoy it to the full. There are no mistakes, “You are, what you are”.

Planet Earth is one big beautiful canvas, filled with variety and colour. We are all part of this wonderful work of ART, so make the most of it.