Gallery 26

Samantha Schmelitschek. A life long artist. In 1993, it was Samantha?s dream to do art every day. When she left school, the simple solution was to attend TAFE. During this time, she photographed every subject available, especially focusing on bands, portraits and social critique. She passionately refined her artist sensibilities, majoring in photography and painting. The dream became reality. After finishing the Diploma of Fine Arts at TAFE in Wollongong, she realised two years was not enough! Continuing her dream, she came to Sydney to complete a degree in Fine Arts at COFA in 1996. During this time, she assisted a photographer on shoots for Australian Gourmet Traveller, Vogue Living and worked part time at The Body Shop. When she completed the degree, she felt she needed a ?real? job. This was as a gallery assistant for a time in the panoramic landscape photographer Ken Duncan in the Rocks, Sydney. Having balanced work, study and creative pursuits while at uni, she felt she could do more for the world, and took a contract with Amnesty International, as an assistant for their national Candle Day, the biggest annual fundraiser. Following this massive event, she took a holiday of respite in Thailand, took rolls of film and recouped. On returning, needing a job, and wanting to prove she could ?do anything? she did so by working as a paint colour consultant for a time. Expounding the values and subtleties of off-white, she gained valuable interior decorating knowledge, and was on the verge of a career change once more... However, her passion for making a difference in the world was needed further satisfying. She was hounded to return to her former position, and agreed. She returned again to Amnesty to again assist in the fundraising, this time learning how to balance her energy and not feel the lives of many (ie the WHOLE world) rested on her efforts. Shortly afterwards, she discovered another form of fundraising which raised more money for the charity, without such an energetic cost (the dreaded /necessary ?charity call?). This enabled her to ?save the world? and help many worthwhile organizations such Greenpeace (a great passion), Australian Bush Heritage, UNHCR, WSPA and Save the Children, to name a few. Making a difference in the world continued to drive her, and she simultaneously studied at Nature Care College and began a variety of meditation techniques. Through these studies, she found, as much she?d like to help people, she?d rather teach people to live. Of course you can?t make people do anything. Can?t hope to, wish to or want to. Each person?s purpose is to live their own journey, finding their way to live joyously and damage no one. You can only share what you know. Therefore, the next career became teaching. Also, while her passion remained to ?raise the vibration of the world?, Samantha became aware the secret is in raising your own. One can only live as an example. She continued meditating, going on various retreats with friends, (which were hilarious journeys-?Sometimes we knew nothing of the people, and one time, made a pact with a secret ?code? that if the people were looney, we?d leave. The irony was they all thought we were young and crazy, asking if we were a girl band they didn?t recognise!?). The conclusion, at this stage, was she?d realised to have peace in the world; you need it to be in yourself. That doesn?t mean meditation all the time. The secret is if you want freedom for others, you need to use your own. Now she follows her passions, working with children, sharing what she knows and painting up a storm! She has been a performer in two plays, a play on the environment for preschoolers, one she wrote in collaboration with Gosford council on water conservation for primary school, which she also designed the set and costumes. She has a teaching degree, baby-sits, and takes photos of everything. She has an ever-growing collection of plants and has turned the inside of her home into a rainforest. She loves going for walks around Cremorne, enjoying the abundance of nature around her and often uses the inspiration for the paintings.