On the Tulsa Is Home Podcast, host Chelsea Smith interviews Tulsa artist Samantha Jezek, known for bold, cheerful paintings and the message that viewers are “not alone.” Samantha describes discovering art later, studying interior design at OSU, late-night oil painting studio work and critiques, and a formative landscape-painting study abroad in Tuscany, plus a professor who pushed her. She recommends Philbrook for inspiration and Tulsa’s art community for connection, and Ziglar’s for quality supplies. Jess explains her shift from moody, dramatic work to brighter, joyful pieces influenced by God, her healing, and her husband’s encouragement. She shares her Not Alone series, created after addiction and 16 months of recovery, portraying ten colorful women to represent private pain and shared struggle. She discusses her studio process, layered work across many pieces, commissions, and keeping collections intact.

00:00 Healing Through Joyful Art

00:31 Feeling Alone in Recovery

01:24 Tulsa Is Home Intro

02:01 Meet Samantha Jess

02:53 Finding Art Later

04:09 OSU Studio Nights

06:28 Critiques and Confidence

08:03 Italy Study Abroad

10:35 Tulsa Inspiration Spots

11:40 From Moody to Bright

12:45 Faith as the Muse

13:26 Not Alone Series Origin

17:10 Painting Shared Stories

18:05 Painting Setup Rituals

18:53 Music or Silence

19:28 Focus Mode and Studio Space

20:36 Planning the First Marks

20:58 Working in Layers and Batches

22:49 Commissions and Letting Go

24:16 Advice for Struggling Artists

24:57 Saving Kids Artwork

27:08 Tulsa Rapid Fire Picks

29:44 Wrap Up and Where to Follow