Painting at Speed with Samantha Zimmermann

In this episode of The BeDifferential Podcast, we sit down with artist Samantha Zimmermann—whose hyper-realistic automotive paintings are so precise they’re often mistaken for photographs—to explore the intersection of art, engineering, and motorsport history.Growing up in a family immersed in creativity, Samantha shares how that early environment shaped both her artistic eye and her deep connection to racing. From sketching horses as a young artist to discovering a defining moment at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, we trace the path that led her to make motorsport art her life’s work.Samantha walks us through her creative process in detail—from selecting reference images to building layers of oil paint—and explains why oil became her “happy place” for storytelling and realism. We dive into the artistic decisions behind composing racing scenes filled with motion, emotion, and historical context, as well as her enduring fascination with the machines, liveries, and culture of 1970s and ’80s racing.She also reflects on creative growing pains, lessons learned the hard way, and how mentors like fellow artist Kelly Telfer helped shape her career. For emerging artists hoping to turn passion into a profession—especially in niche spaces like automotive and motorsport art—Samantha offers candid advice and encouragement.We wrap with a look at what she’s working on now, plus a fun hypothetical: if Samantha were to design her own race-car livery, what story would it tell?You can find more of Samantha’s work on Instagram at @zimmy_arts or visit her website at samanthazimmermannart.com.