Meet Sam Sharp | Art Model & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Sharp and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Five years ago, I was turning thirty. I had this daunting realization that somewhere in the muck of working long odd hours at unfulfilling jobs, I’d hardly done anything creative in nearly a decade. Before then, I’d done some modeling for friends in college that involved putting together costumes or using props to make odd or interesting photos. I’d loved it. I wanted to do more of that.

This new pursuit was also something that I wanted to be expressive without restriction, so I needed a name other than my own and a new Instagram account. I landed on Lady Long Limbs. I began seeking out local photographers who I felt would be open to having some fun with unusual ideas. I had the great privilege of modeling for some incredible people like Wayland Cooper and Joshua Black Wilkins.

Soon, however, the pandemic happened. It seemed like this invigorating time was coming to a halt. Then out of the blue, an artist named Michael Van sent me a photo of a painting he had done that was inspired by one of my photos. I had no idea that this moment would be where my hobby turned into something more.

Other artists began to find me and ask for photos. I started experimenting more with self portraits that I took in my apartment. I loved the challenge of trying to get into the minds of other creatives and photograph images that felt like something someone might want to translate to paint, pen, digital art, etc. This is where I started creating sets of photos and selling them as art references.

All of that’s to say that I innately needed to be using my imagination, and I unexpectedly realized that I also needed to be a part of a community of like-minded people. It’s been a wonderful five years of making some of my life’s greatest connections through a mutual love of all things art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My self-portraits are deeply personal. If I were to pick one thing that sets me apart from other art models, it’s that I treat much of what I make like someone who’s abandoned their open diary in the middle of a crowded shopping mall. I intermingle bits of my writings with many of the images.

I rarely shy away from things that are feeling important to me, things that I feel I want to express. This sometimes comes with the negative connotation of “over-sharing”, but I’ve learned to ignore those opinions. Often people very kindly reach out because I’m saying something they don’t know how to say or don’t feel comfortable expressing.

It’s provided a lot of growth for me, too, to be so cognizant of how I express myself, what I’m saying, and how I’m choosing to depict those expressions using my own face and body. The greatest challenge is that it is an experience that requires spending a lot of time looking at myself both physically and emotionally. I’ve learned to take breaks when my vision skews south and to remember that the community of people I share my work with are warm, loving people.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a big live music fan, so my first suggestions would be two of my favorite venues: The End for smaller, intimate performances and Marathon Music Works for shows that are a bit bigger. For folks into goth music, Fascination Street does this really great night of goth, darkwave, and post-punk music every second Saturday at The Eastroom, so I hope they’re around for that.

For food, they’ve gotta try the margherita pizza at Coco’s Italian Market. Grillshack has the greatest grass-fed burger.

If they’re looking for a quiet place to chill, I’d recommend Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. They’ve got a really great collection of Thomas Dambo’s Troll sculptures on view from May 2 – September 1. I’ve seen some of his work in Kentucky and can confirm his sculptures are otherworldly whimsical and larger than life.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many names I want to mention! First, I want to thank Wayland Cooper who was open to photographing me when I had zero experience and had no idea how to even stand in front of a camera. I want to thank Michael Van because if he hadn’t painted me, I don’t think I would have found my way into art modeling. I want to thank my friend Steve Mackintosh for giving me the final push I needed to self-publish my first book And if You’re on Your Back, Feel Everything. I could write a list a hundred miles long, but for the sake of brevity, I want to thank all of the creative people I’ve met over the past few years. I’ve truly been blessed to find a tight knit, incredibly loving and supportive community that has added light to my life. I couldn’t and wouldn’t be doing this without them.

Instagram: @ladylonglimbs

Other: Link to My Book: https://www.lulu.com/shop/sam-sharp/and-if-youre-on-your-back-feel-everything/paperback/product-e77np4j.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Image Credits
Brian Bolanowski
Andreas Liss
Robin Danely
Jared Rosen
Joe Ceballos
Mike Lang
Cristopher Johnson
Michael Van
Anne Leppänen