Previous Exhibitions – Sam Toft Originals

See below for Sam’s previous exhibitions. To hear about future exhibitions of original work, join her email list here.

To buy signed prints and limited editions from Sam, visit www.samtoft.co.uk

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Live As You Are. But Not Today.

29 November 2024

I hope these pictures will bring you even a small amount of the joy that went into creating them. Working away in my quiet studio with Betty, when I hadn’t even contemplated the concept of her leaving me so suddenly and so soon.

And now, walking through wet grass before the sun is properly up, thin light, a soft drizzle, I have a new pup by my side. From the corner of my eye I see a lone fox behind a garden wall and I think of my old dog. How I miss my Betty.

When I wake in the small hours, too tired to sleep, I miss her night time snuffles. Softly snoozing in her rightful place at the bottom of my bed, pointy ears silhouetted in the street lights through my net curtains. Ever alert and always watchful, I felt so safe in my tall thin house by the sea with Betty right there beside me. Cold wet nose in my face instead of an alarm call. Our morning cuddles.

This show is dedicated to the memory of my Betty. Its title is inspired by one of those Self Help quotes I cling to. Live As You Are Today. Because with all the fear and anxiety life can bring I find it a helpful mantra. But when I put Betty to sleep for the final time I thought, No… Not today: I’m just not ready to experience the pain of this present moment. So I flew away with her for a while and took comfort in that.

With the whirlwind that is my Birdy at 14 weeks, it’ll be my last show for a while. I have no energy to go to the studio or even draw at home. But today I have a new show, a new pup and a big big hole in my heart.

Everyday Magic

12 April 2024

A small show of just 18 pictures. I hope I’ve managed to capture some of the magic I see every day. Always working from life, filtered through my imagination and then captured in oil pastel and inks with lots of scraping and layering. Ideas come from my daily walks. The Sussex woods and pebble beaches give me lots of space to think and then when I’m back at the studio with a cuppa I just start drawing and see what comes. I’ve worked really slowly on these pieces as I’ve developed a frozen shoulder and a couple of hours a day is all I can manage. But perhaps these pictures are the better for it. I poured lots of care and attention into these little treasures over many months and they grew into something special, I think. Almost as if by magic!

Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

23 November 2022

Sam walking through a wood wearing a raincoat with Betty her Alsatian dog.

I’m always transported by a good yarn. As a child I loved being read to and all my favourite stories began with, ‘onceapullietye.’ I thought perhaps it was an ancient incantation with magic powers to soothe and relax. Today I can recapture the feeling by putting on a book tape while I’m working. There’s something so calming about listening to quiet voices, gentle conversation or a radio in another room. Not necessarily what is said but more the way they say it. And it’s this feeling of comfort and warmth I try to paint in my pictures.

It’s all too clear that we won’t all live happily ever after. But I try not to dwell on that. My own stories will always be set in an imaginary world on the edge of my vision, with little pieces of the everyday thrown in to tether the warmth to something more tangible. This gentle approach is probably why people think I could be a children’s book illustrator and many will hang my prints on the pale lemon walls of the Nursery. I tell simple stories it’s true. But as Lesley Manville said of her lovely film Mrs Harris goes to Paris, It’s like a fairy tale for grownups. And although some children may appreciate my work, these pictures and stories are created with you firmly in mind, not them. I hope you enjoy this latest collection.

Little Joys – 6th August 2022

I’m delighted to share my little joys with you… a dancing figure almost out of sight, a little wren come to say Hallo, quiet times alone with trees, a tender hug, noticing how things grow, overindulgence in cake, an abundance of yellow, holding fond memories close. There are some Little Joys that take the form of wholesome sadnesses. Apparently you can’t have one without the other, so I’ll take both.

I’m dedicating this show to the memory of dear Stanley Philpot who died having lost his sight, his hair and some of his marbles but still eating treats at record speed… Missing curls all down his back, wizened grey from chocolate black, cloudy eyes and mouth gone slack, that little Joy will not come back.

We’ll Know Where We’re Going When We Get There – 18th May 2022

These are confusing times, it’s true. But I think I’ve always been a bit confused! So much of the world makes little sense and I see my pictures as a bit of an antidote to my lack of understanding. Perhaps it’s naive of me to focus in on an imaginary world at times of such chaos and change, but the underlying themes of love and loss, heartache and whimsy are universal. And If I’ve raised a few of spirits along the way then that’s worth an awful lot.

These pictures and drawings were completed during a glorious six week break near to the Ashdown Forest a few months ago. The stillness and beauty of my surroundings gave me such a creative boost, I felt as if I were walking in the footsteps of Ernest Shepard and Winnie the Pooh! So many ups and downs and contemplative moments shared with my two (real) dogs and a host of imaginary friends. I think there must be something here for everyone: romance, dog walking, a nice bit of cake and all the wobbly bits in between. If one or two of them raise a smile then my work here is done and I’ll be on my way. I’ll let you know when I get there.

These Are The Days – 17th-29th April 2021

The bigness of the natural world and the smallness of our selves within it. The wonder of nature and our beautiful lives. The pain and hardship we put ourselves through when we don’t think we are good enough, forgetting we have everything we need, right here right now. These are the days. For which I am very grateful.

Hope Floats – 9 October 2020

The Magnificent Seven – 17 July 2020

The Anything Is Possible Collection – 27 June 2020

Five Column Pots

Tall Column Stoneware Pot by Sicilian Potter Roberto Gagliano. Slightly wider at the base than the rim. Experimentation with glazes and multiple firings have enabled Roberto to produce a finish that draws attention to the figure at the top of the pot, providing a unique and earthy colour way, perfectly complimenting Sam’s textured figures. Rust coloured Tenmoku glaze -to an old Chinese recipe- at the base, fades gradually to a mottled beige with toning removable lid. Inside, the pot is beautifully finished with rust coloured glaze.

Height of pot 52cm approx. This does not include the height of the figure which is shown separately.
Diameter of pot: 16cm at the base, 14cm at the neck approx
Height of the complete piece is around 80cm, just short of 3 feet tall

The pot can be shown lidded or with the lid separately displayed, as you will

Five Classic Pots

Classically shaped Stoneware Urn by Sicilian Potter Roberto Gagliano. Perfectly balanced with pleasing lines. Experimentation with glazes and multiple firings have enabled Roberto to produce a finish that draws attention to the figure at the top of the pot, providing a unique and earthy colour way, perfectly complimenting Sam’s textured figures. Rust coloured Tenmoku glaze -to an old Chinese recipe- at the base, fades gradually to a mottled beige with matching removable dome shaped lid. Inside, the pot is beautifully finished with rust coloured glaze.

Height of pot 54cm approx. This does not include the height of the figure which will be shown separately.
Diameter at widest point 28cm approx
Diameter at neck 14cm approx
Height of the complete piece is around 80cm -some are taller than others – just short of 3 feet