This is one of her most recent public artworks, but there are more in Carvoeiro as well as in Praia da luz, Burgau, and other locations in the Algarve and the Silver coast. She has also travelled for mural commissions to Germany and Madeira, and next year, she has another work trip planned in UK.

So how did Samantha’s journey begin? She moved to the Algarve together with her husband and their son five years ago, later followed by their daughter.

Samantha van der Westhuizen had always enjoyed creative work, starting out by refurbishing old furniture and selling her pieces at markets. With her husband encouragement, she slowly started expanding her creativity and painting canvases.

“He is my biggest supporter and also my biggest critic”, Samantha said with a laugh. “At the beginning we didn’t have any expectations, I just posted on social media my work and suddenly I had people asking if they could buy it.”

Her first inspiration came from Portuguese colourful doors and windows. One of her first buyers reached out to purchase a painting of an old door, because it reminded him of his grandmother’s house.

She started to paint murals after her friend asked her to paint a “vacation view” on a wall at her home. Now she paints murals for private homes, restaurants, and other establishments, transforming spaces with her vibrant colours.

After the initial success, Samantha realised there is a real audience for her art, and she decided to fully commit to the profession. Her main medium is acrylics, and to adapt to her client’s needs, she also creates little souvenirs, keychains or small format painting with motifs typical for Algarve. She even launched her own paintbrush range, which you can purchase, among other items, at Teias shop in the centre of Lagos or at the Etnoster gallery in Vilamoura. Samantha’s next exhibition will take place at the Fissul Pavilion in Silves in mid-November.

Another of her specialities is wedding artistry, she paints live wedding portraits. Booking her services for a wedding, you will get beautiful memory capturing the unique moments of your special day.

If you are interested in learning painting with acrylic, Samantha’s workshops are designed to show you the fun part of creative process. You can contact her directly and book a session with her, her prices are very affordable, and she organises workshops daily, also one on one sessions, which is a big advantage as normally for workshops a group of people is required.

Samantha is truly versatile, and she creates also custom-made pieces, such as hand-painted denim jackets or postcards. Among her signature works are birds, cats or dog portraits typically on a golden background which adds to the glamorous final look. If you have an idea you would like to see brought to life on canvas (or even on clothing), Samantha is the artist to call.

To learn more about the artist, visit samanthavanderwesthuizen.art