Samantha grew up in Belleville, IL, located near East St. Louis. She moved to Missouri where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting and a Bachelor of Art in Psychology. During college, she interned as an art therapist assistant at Crisis Nursery located in St. Louis. Crisis Nursery is a twenty-four to thirty-six hour shelter for children and provides care, counseling, and resources to children and their families. She also obtained her Masters in Education at Lindenwood University and currently helps students express their ideas through art using the teaching artistic behaviors model. From these experiences, Samantha finds inspiration for her artwork.
 
In her art, Samantha works to show the raw, harsh, and often beautiful reality that can be found in life. Her work focuses on the human experience and the impact of humans on each other and their environment. She combines different elements and raw materials such as wood, Plexiglas, and natural stains as the foundations of her expressionistic style. Drawing on the inherent texture and character of her materials, Samantha enhances and complements her art rather than retooling them to fit. She wants her art to be real and show the essence of both humanity and nature. Samantha often utilizes people and locations from her past, and in doing so, highlights the heartache and hope so central to the common human experience.