The Art Beat: Vika Samoylov
Explore the world of Harrisonburg artist Vika Samoylov in The Art Beat. From live wedding paintings to intimate portraits, her art captures emotion, memory, and the creative heartbeat of Downtown Harrisonburg.
The Art Beat-Discover Local Creators
Viktoriya “Vika” Samoylov is a Harrisonburg artist and designer whose work blends creativity with memory. Known for her live wedding paintings, heartfelt portraits, and impressionist landscapes, she creates pieces that feel alive with story and connection, whether on canvas or through her design practice.
For Vika, art has always been part of her rhythm. As a kid it kept her quiet and content, a way to disappear into colors and shapes. By the time she was in school, she had become “the art kid.” Teachers leaned on her for every poster or project that needed a drawing. In high school, art class was the only period that felt like hers. When college came, graphic design looked like the smart option, but it was the paint-splattered studio classes that reminded her why she loved creating in the first place.
She also found her voice online. Back in the MySpace days she shared moody edits, and later Instagram connected her with people who spoke the same creative language. “You find your people quicker,” she says, and that encouragement gave her the confidence to start selling her work. Still, she learned how quickly joy can slip away when every piece is treated like a product. This year, she’s carving out more time for herself, choosing paint over deadlines.
One of the most striking parts of Vika’s journey is her live wedding paintings. Couples invite her into their day, and she builds the piece in real time. What looks spontaneous is actually the result of careful prep: sketches, color studies, and reference photos layered out so that when she shows up, the brush is already moving. Guests get to watch the canvas bloom during the celebration, and later she refines the details. It’s stressful, but she calls it rewarding. “Apparently I like to stress myself out,” she jokes.
Her style leans impressionist. She cares less about exact likeness and more about feeling. Nature feeds her work, as do the people around her. Harrisonburg’s art scene has given her both. Local galleries and events like First Fridays showed her that art wasn’t out of reach, that it was possible to walk into a coffee shop, ask to hang a painting, and hear a simple yes. Those small opportunities shaped her path as much as any classroom.
Now, Vika is chasing nostalgia. She wants her paintings to carry the same spark as an old photograph where the cassette player or soda can in the background tells a bigger story. Whether it’s a wedding portrait, a pet commission, or a canvas that begins with nothing more than the thrill of mixing colors, she hopes people see more than paint. She hopes they see memory.
