Bright colors combined with abstract shapes and everyday life images are key components to distinguishing international studies senior Sam Prather’s work.
The 22-year-old Baton Rouge native has been creating ever since her mother first gave her a crayon, she said.
“I have an entire wall at my parent’s house that I just drew all over,” Prather said. “They [really] let me express myself creatively, and after that it just grew and snowballed.”
In middle school, Prather dabbled in drawing comics that were a mixture of early teen angst and light humor. Once in high school, she began to experiment conceptually, allowing her work to take on more abstract forms, Prather said.
She eventually abandoned form altogether in college, leading to her current eclectic style. Prather’s work is created with a mixture of varying mediums including watercolor, micron pen, charcoal and her most-used, acrylic.
While Prather’s work varies in its subjects, her work is recognizable through its vibrant colors and imaginative execution.
Prather’s apartment, which doubles as her studio, is adorned with her wide-ranging works: a forest of twisted snakes or lines, opposing abstract images that somehow seamlessly flow together and pop off the canvas, radiant animal-centered pieces, often with abstracts strategically placed around them, and a Mexican girl wearing a horned butterfly mask, inspired by a moment that immediately caught her attention on a visit to Mexico City, Prather said.
Louisiana culture is one of Prather’s main artistic influences, she said. One of her first pieces was a canvas of a Mardi Gras mask, and one of her more recent works is a canvassed two-headed self-described Voodoo queen with
many eyes.
After graduation Prather hopes to enter the New Orleans art scene, but in the meantime will continue to invest herself in the Baton Rouge art community, she said.
Prather gets to know other local artists in the city’s multifaceted creative community through The Bando, a monthly art and music event at Spanish Moon and Mid City Merchants’ annual White Light Night.
Prather is also a lifeguard at the LSU UREC and a server at Louie’s Café. In addition to her two jobs and school, Prather maintains her artistry in her downtime by setting personal due dates for each commission, and ultimately using art as a source of happiness and stress relief, she said.
To check her out, look through her Instagram @friedskrimpz.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Dilyn Stewart

International studies senior Sam Prather paints in her home on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017.