My name is James Robert Hopni Sampsel. I’m a passionate person in general. A Passionist.
What is a passionist?
Passionism: The act of living for the sake of experiences, inspiration, love, and happiness, as opposed to gaining material wealth or consumption. The end product being a direct side effect of the life you lead.
My interests are of many and wide. I have aimed in the arts of teaching, sharing, connecting and exploring with others.
In more detail, I’m an outdoor painter, fly-fishing guide, and Adventurer.
I grew up in the foothills of Missoula Montana. By the age of 5, I had been introduced and gained the love for being outside, mainly connecting with rivers and their fish. I’m especially drawn to anadromous fish that push up the current sometimes for 900 miles for the selfless goal of keeping the species alive. To me there is nothing more beautiful than the spawn of salmon and steelhead. They make mirror reflections of themselves, scatter them, give them the tools and foundation of genes that make them strong individuals. Doing so in the hopes that this next generation share their knowing, and expand their teachings. This process is very inspiring, and I hope to honor them and mimic these teachings in the form of paintings. Impressions of the one thing we can actually say is perfect. Nature.
My oils showcase the life that I lead with representations of what I see in nature, my travels, and experience with different people and cultures. I predominantly paint outdoors in the Pacific Northwest but have no boundaries in which I explore. I work in an alla-prima technique using emotions to move my brush and learn from the natural world. My paintings are typically derived from a single session ensuring my head and heart space remain true and my hand consistent.
My work touches the hearts of many anglers, especially those familiar with the Deschutes, Rogue, and Umpqua Rivers in Oregon. My spiritual connection with nature keeps my pallet brilliant and brushes curious to explore more.
My hope is that I continue to grow as an artist by keeping an open heart to new experiences and the most difficult of challenges.
I currently live in Port Orford Oregon with my wife, two children, and our black Labrador where the ocean and rivers are still wild and much of the landscape is untouched.
Exhibits, Accomplishments and Awards:
July 2025 Plein Air Easton, Winner Artist Choice Paint Oxford
May 2025 Pacific Northwest Plein Air, 2nd Place overall
May 2025 Annual Maritime Show, Coos Bay Museum, Winner Honorable Mention
May 2024 The Fly Fish Journal Writers On The Fly, Guest Artist
May 2024 Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Winner Best Water
August 2023 Umpqua Valley Plein Air, Winner Best In Show
August, 2023 Coast Plein Air Paint & Wine Festival, Winner Best In Show
August, 2022 Estes Valley Plein Air, 2nd Place Quick Draw
July 25-28, 2022 Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Winner Honorable Mention
May 2-8, 2021 Southwest Plein Air Galveston TX, Award of Merit
June 19-22, 2019 Los Gatos Plein Air 2019, Winner Honorable Mention
April 30 – May 3, 2019 The Two Rivers Plein Air Event, Winner Quick Draw
February 1, 2018 “Landscape Magic” Invitational, Giustina Gallery, LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University
Sept. 2018 Umpqua Valley Plein Air, Best In Show Overall Winner Established Artists.
July, 2018 Southern Oregon Plein Air, 3rd Place Overall Established Artist, Best In Show Award for Quick Draw Competition
February 4, 2016 “Oregon Landscape Show” Invitational Giustina Gallery, LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University
November 1, 2013 -January 2, 2014 Exhibiting in “30 Under 30” show in Hallie Brown Ford Gallery, Umpqua Valley Arts Association Arts Center.
August 30 – September 4, 2013 Organized and Guided inaugural “Rogue River Adventure Paint Out” under auspices of ROW Adventures. Assisted by fellow plein-aire painter and guide, David Kinker, and ROW adventure guide Aylan Lee.
July 29 – August 30, 2013 Exhibited in “Crater Lake Experience” International Art Show at Giustina Gallery, LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University
June 1 -June 28, 2013 Exhibited in “Art Immersed in the Aquatic Underworld” show at Giustina Gallery, Lesells Stewart Center, Oregon State University
February – March, 2013 “Raising the Main” First Place winner, “The Many Faces of Africa” Cultural Show, Oregon State University
November – December, 2012 Solo Show “The Works of James Sampsel” Clark Gallery, Roseburg, Oregon
November – December, 2012 Exhibiting at Kevin Clark’s Gallery, Roseburg, Oregon
November, 2012 “Best In Show” award LaSells Stewart Gallery, Oregon State University, “Oregon’s Waterways”.
November – December, 2012 Exhibiting “Oregon’s Waterways” at LaSells Stewart Gallery, Oregon State University
September, 2012 Exhibited Bend’s Fall Festival Bend, Oregon
September – December, 2011 “En Plein Air” the works of Mike Rangner, Laurel Buchanan, and James Sampsel
September, 2011- Present Exhibiting at Pegasus Gallery, Corvallis, Oregon
May, 2011 Solo Show “James Sampsel” Lester Newell’s Perspectives Gallery, Bend, Oregon
December, 2010 – May, 2011 Exhibited at Lester Newell’s Perspectives Gallery, Bend, Oregon.
April, 2011 “Best In Show” Chalk art contest, Bend Spring Festival
July, 2010 Exhibited Reno City Hall for “Transition Reno” Artown Festival
December, 2009 – March 2010 Exhibited at The River Gallery, Reno, Nevada
Publications:
September 2023, Doma Coffee Commercial, Fishing the Rogue with James Sampsel
September 2023, The Fly Fish Journal, 15.1 Gallery Feature, Plein Air Pursuits of James Sampsel
August 2023, Travel Oregon Commercial, Fishing with James & SustaianiBill
January 2023, Nature Of Wellness Podcast Episode 8, Mental Health, Art, and Fly Fishing with James Sampsel
August 2022 Swing The Fly, Featured Gallery Spread
July 2021 Film: “If I Tell Them” featured film about mental health and James Sampsel’s story
Feb- March 2019 Issue, Willamette Living, Cover Image
August 2018 Issue, Salman Steelhead Journal, 6 page article “Half Pounders & Summer Runs” by Terry Sheely
April 2018 Issue Swing The FlyMagazine 6 page featured Article, “Muse at it’s Source” photo essay by James Sampsel
January 2013 Feautered in article, “Thomas Jefferson Kitts Goes Rogue” by Thomas Kitts, Plein Air Magazine.
July, 2013 Featured in Article: “Plein Air Artists Go Rogue in Oregon” by Bob Bahr, Outdoor Painter.com.
October, 2012 Featured in Article: “Fishing Steelhead Trout in the Rogue River” in Boom magazine, www.riverregionboom.com
September, 2012-Present: Featured artist in “Excellentartist.com”.
November, 2012 Featured in article: “How to Love Life” in Sonoma Christian Home Online Magazine.
October, 2012 Featured in blog article: “Oregon or Bust”; Forever Design by Cindy Barganier.