Technical Training and the Classical Lineage
The artistic practice of Samuel Hoskins is built upon a dual foundation: a rigorous, academic mastery of classical technique and a philosophical engagement with the very materials of his craft. His formal training is the bedrock of this practice, having graduated from The Florence Academy of Art's Core Program (2019-2022) and subsequently receiving the 4th Prize Year distinction in 2023. This education provides the technical authority and historical context for his more esoteric explorations.
This commitment to the "lineage of classical painters" is most evident in his public-facing research. Hoskins describes his YouTube channel as a visual journal of his explorations in painting. This journal is not a mere collection of painting time-lapses; it is a systematic and scholarly investigation into the historical, and often hazardous, production of artists' materials. His video curriculum includes in-depth tutorials on:
This engagement is not for practical efficiency but for philosophical depth. He refers to this connection to historical practices as a form of "alchemy". This alchemical pursuit grounds his conceptual work in a tangible, laborious, and material reality. By physically recreating the processes of the Old Masters, he is not just painting like them; he is participating in the same timeless Golden Thread that he cites as his purpose. This public work as a practitioner-researcher establishes that his spiritual inquiry is not a detached concept but a physical discipline
The Philosophical Engine
The technical "how" of Hoskins's work is in service to a deeply articulated philosophical "why." His work is driven by an intellectual framework built from a specific constellation of thinkers he identifies as outliers, including Carl Jung, Terence McKenna, Plato, and Ram Dass.
From this framework, Carl Jung provides the psychological map. Hoskins's stated aim is to bring out substance from the unconscious and to reveal archetypal truths. Terence McKenna, meanwhile, provides the artist's mission. Hoskins features McKenna's charge on his website, stating, "The artist's task is to save the soul of mankind... Because of the artists, who are self-selected, for being able to journey into the Other, if the artists cannot find the way, then the way cannot be found".
This intellectual structure is most clearly articulated in his 2024 solo exhibition, "The Call to Adventure". This show, and its accompanying artist statement, defines his practice as an exploration of travel and discovery, both external and internal. He explicitly situates his life and art within a liminal space, which he describes as uncomfortable, confusing, and challenging, but... also filled with hope, possibility, and transformation. This is not a vague or passive inspiration; it is a structured quest narrative. He frames his work through the hero's journey, asserting that the goal is not about the pile of gold beyond the dragon's lair, but the transformation that takes place throughout the journey. His art, therefore, is the documentation of this personal, transformative quest.
A single painting from this exhibition, "Self Portrait with Prism," serves as a definitive Rosetta Stone for his entire symbolic language. He writes:
"As the light passes through the prism, it reveals the colors hidden within—much like how the human mind interprets the world. The figure, gazing toward the source of this light, is on a quest for a deeper understanding, aware that what he perceives is only a fraction of a greater, more unified truth".
This description is a complete manifesto. The greater, more unified truth is McKenna's "Other". The prism is the artist, who must act as a vessel. The colors hidden within are the substance from the unconscious that the artist is charged with revealing.
Articulating the Visual Language
The artist's visual language is the direct result of synthesizing his alchemical technique with his philosophical quest. His most consistent self-definition, repeated across interviews and profiles, is that of a vessel and a bridge. His art is explicitly intended to function as a bridge between the rational and irrational facets of the human mind and a bridge between dreams and material reality.
This "bridge" has a distinct visual character. His work is described as blending careful craftsmanship with a sense of wonder. This translates into paintings of figures immersed in vast, serene landscapes, which are worlds both familiar and unknown. The objective of these visual worlds is to create a space for reflection and offer glimpses into a world just beyond the surface. The primary emotional registers are a quiet mystery and a profound stillness. He uses color and light to evoke a sense of transcendence.
This serenity is not a passive or decorative choice. It is a hard-won intellectual and spiritual state. Given that the artist defines his journey as uncomfortable, confusing, and challenging, the peace depicted in his paintings is the destination of that "Call to Adventure". The serene landscape is a visual representation of the stillness one finds in the flow, the moment of transcendence achieved by the vessel who has successfully navigated the liminal space.
Professional Milestones and Recognition
Hoskins's professional career demonstrates a strategic trajectory. He has leveraged unimpeachable classical credentials to earn a platform for his deeply philosophical work. His CV is populated with awards from the Art Renewal Center, the preeminent international organization of classical realism. He has secured prestigious residencies that feed his exploratory practice, such as The Almanara Collection in Spain and The Hudson River Fellowship. He exhibits in high-caliber venues, including the Salmagundi Club, the Seattle Art Fair, and the Bellevue Art Museum Art Fair.
One achievement, however, perfectly encapsulates and literalizes his entire artistic project: his inclusion in the Lunar Codex. His painting, "Hope," is part of a digital codex being launched to the south pole of the moon. It is the ultimate metaphor for his stated philosophy. His painting, a vessel of his ideas, is being sent on a literal journey into the unknown. It will be stored on the moon, a place of quiet mystery and timelessness, achieving a form of permanence.
