Rising Stars: Meet Summer Doss

Today we’d like to introduce you to Summer Doss.

Hi Summer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up living near Baltimore, Maryland and from early childhood, I knew I wanted to be an artist. However, growing up in the D.C. area, ‘professional artist’ as a career path seemed more like a path to certain failure. Even though art has never left me, I struggled to figure out how it would fit into my life and was never fully content with the idea of relegating my art to a hobby.

In high school, I was blessed to find a mentor in my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Carsley, who was also the head of the art department. As college applications loomed, she supported me in my art school aspirations. I struggled a lot with my mental health for most of my upbringing, and her classroom became my sanctuary. I painted in my free periods, during lunch breaks, and often for hours after school. Art was a catharsis for me, but my life was unbalanced.

Then I found yoga. Yoga was the first thing that made me feel at home in my body like I was enough as I was, and it was the beginning of finding joy in movement. From there, a reconnection with my love of the outdoors soon followed. I spent my summers growing up in the mountains of Western Maryland – that was where I first found my idea of God, and where I first found myself.

That love for nature and that need for connection lay dormant in me until my late teens. Over the next few years, as I bumbled my way through college at VCUarts in Richmond, those passions finally found a resting place: landscape painting. Although my degree was heavily based on design, I had finally found my own artistic voice.

My transition to Arizona was born out of sheer luck and privilege. My family and I came out to Flagstaff on a bucket list trip-of-a-lifetime to see Grand Canyon by the river. It is still one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. I fell in love with the Southwest immediately, and that trip was more life-changing than I knew at the time. I really connected with our guides, and the trip leader encouraged me to apply for a job. I thought he was joking, but I applied. Much to my surprise, I got the job.

I’ve been guiding with Canyoneers for three seasons now, and finally made the full-time move to Arizona in April of 2021. In the winter, I work as a Digital Associate for the nonprofit Wild Arizona, which is a delightful combination of my Graphic Design background and my passion for conservation and restoration work.

I now have a home studio and I use my work in Grand Canyon and for Wild Arizona, along with my personal adventures, to fuel my painting. You can find my paintings at the Art Loft Collective gallery here in Flagstaff, and I’m beyond honored to have more commission requests than I can take on at the moment.

I have so many people to thank for the weird and wonderful life I find myself in today. My family, for loving and supporting me through all the ups and downs. My mentors gave me the space to believe in myself and countless hours of time and dedication. My Flagstaff family, who have welcomed me beyond measure and supported my art, my dreams, and made it possible for me to move out West.

I never pictured myself here at 23, in so many ways, and I know I’m just getting started.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve had immeasurable support from both my family and my chosen family. It’s important for me to acknowledge the privileges I’ve had in getting here, but of course, there were struggles along the way.

My biggest obstacle has often been myself. Growing up as a social outcast, having a genetic predisposition to mental health issues, and working through trauma are things I now appreciate in strange ways. They’ve given me my voice and insight into myself and what I want out of life that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

That being said, there have been periods of my life where they’ve just knocked me on my ass. From struggling through an eating disorder to almost failing out of college, the darker parts of my story often felt just that – dark.

The hardest part was always picking up the pieces again after falling apart, looking around you in complete overwhelm at the past and the future, with no idea how it could all possibly work out. I’ve lost friends to this hopeless place. But I’ve also seen lives and people entirely transformed from coming out the other side. The key piece for me has always been surrender and faith.

Getting out of bed, showing up for work, or taking a deep breath can feel like enormous victories. Eventually, you might even get to a place of believing in yourself. From these places, I’ve been able to build a resilience I didn’t know I was capable of, all while staying gentle at heart. Grow through what you go through.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have a BFA in Communication Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. So my education is primarily based on design and illustration. I’m proud to use this skill set for my work with Wild Arizona, but my passion has always been painting.

My personal work is primarily oil paintings of landscapes, Southwestern landscapes in particular. My work is best described as natural realism. It’s important to me as an artist that my paintings are based on experience, so my process begins with physically being in a place I want to paint. Whether it’s on a river trip, a hike, or a climb, I paint the places and scenes that have connected to me in a raw way.

From there, I’ll often do an on-site sketch of the place. Whether that’s plein air painting or a quick sketch on whatever paper I have on me, I seek to capture the human aspect of experiencing a place. From there, I’ll use a combination of memory, the on-site study, and reference photos to create a larger painting in the studio. My emphasis on process and experience isn’t unique to me, but the lens through which I see the world is.

I am most proud of the ways in which people have been able to connect with my work. Art for me is critical to my survival, to how I understand and navigate the world. But the goal of this art has always been to provide for others the connection, pause for reflection, and beauty that art has provided for me. I’ve heard from clients that my art has done just that, and to know that my work has impacted another human in that way is the ultimate joy.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The sound of rain on a metal roof, a good cup of tea, greasy food after being in the backcountry, light dappling through leaves on trees, watching people light up when they see a dog, a really deep breath, vulnerable conversations, moments of surrender, my friends and family, and the impossible beauty all around us.

The things that make me happiest have a few things in common. For one, they’re often very primitive. Getting basic needs met, the deep satisfaction of food and shelter – especially when you’ve gone without them for a while. They’re also often based on connection with other humans, with the self, the breath, and with nature.

Reminders both big and small that we’re all carbon, that we’re all connected, that bring me the deepest joy and satisfaction.

Contact Info:

• Email: summerdossartist@gmail.com
• Website: summerdossart.com
• Instagram: @summerdossart
• Other: https://www.artloftcollective.com/

Image Credits:
Cierra Murrietta and Ashley Matelski