Who’s Samycm2?

It all started when…

I graduated as an Illustrator from El Instituto de Diseño de Caracas (Caracas Institute of Design) back in 2014 in Caracas, Venezuela. I started my career as any beginner does, prepared but not knowing what to do! I just went with whatever came my way. I started my journey working as a Tattoo Artist and illustrator for Quo Tattoo and I started taking on freelance jobs on the side. I Illustrated my first children’s book, worked as an entry level designer for an entertainment company, and started developing my own brand, Samycm2. 

I realized I wanted something more, not just for my career but for my soul. Unfortunately, Venezuela was (and still is) going through a very difficult situation. It wasn’t easy to picture a future as an artist in a country that’s going through a civil war and battling dictatorship. I decided to completely change my life. I left everything behind and moved to a city I had never even heard of before! I wanted to finish my English studies. I had started learning English back in high school but, I knew I needed to be in an English speaking country to fully learn the language. So, I made the decision to move to the United States for a few months to study English. Not knowing were life would take me next. I honestly just left with a few things hoping to go back to Venezuela to plan what I was actually going to do with my life.

Relocated to Washington State…

To finish up my English studies, complete a Visual Communications degree and, explore the world with a very tight budget. I took a chance in life and, I loved it!

I met so many wonderful people here in Washington. I finally had time to enjoy life for a bit. It was so much different then when I was going through art school studying and practicing my craft day and night... Who am I kidding? I never really took a break from art. Even when we went camping I would take my easel and just paint. The only difference is that now I was doing it for me.

I ended up going through the English program pretty fast. I knew more than I thought I did and ended up enrolling in the Visual Communications program at Highline College and started working for the Student Services as a Graphic Designer and at the Bookstore as a Graphic Designer. I graduated from the Visual Communications program in 2016. 

I continued on developing my personal brand while taking on freelance jobs. I also worked as an Artist and Party Host for Paint Nite, which I was always terrified to do but absolutely loved at the same time. I still do paint parties on my own from time to time per friends and family requests. 

Founded Two Lions Designs

An art and design company I started with my wife. We started off creating advertising campaigns, promotional posters, editorial design and logos for numerous clients. Our main client was the Technology University division at Alaska Airlines for whom we designed weekly for a few years. Anything from brochures, flyers, logos, t shirt designs and posters.
Then the pandemic hit. It definitely hit us hard, to the point were we lost all our clients. We are slowly recovering. We completely shifted focus and now Two Lions Designs is more of our own personal brand rather than a design service. We do still take on a few freelance projects when they come up but we are focusing on a more artistic niche on social media and providing personalized concept art and illustrations in our Etsy Shop. 

Works as a Graphic Artist for the gift shop industry

My most recent experience has been working as a graphic artist for Nassau Candy creating custom designs for apparel and hard goods for the gift shops and tourist industry for the ACE USA division. It’s a new found passion of mine. I really enjoy my job. I’ve been working for ACE USA since 2019. I was affected by the pandemic on this job as well. Unfortunately our company closed down and we all lost our jobs. Thankfully, about a year later Nassau Candy bought ACE USA and we are back in business! They got me and a few others back on board and that is what I do now, eight to ten hours a day, five days a week. I’ve been learning a lot there, it is a lot of work specially since we are a small team now but I love it and, I like that I can always use my artistic abilities and creativity on the job.

Started an artsy cat blog

Eight years working as a professional designer and illustrator blended together with my new found passion for cats making this idea come to life.

Because ‘free time’ for an artist translates to ‘working hard on what you truly love’.

Right before the pandemic started, me and my wife Lisa got deeply involved with rescuing cats from the streets. We ended up keeping 3 of those rescued cats which we personally rescued ourselves after weeks of feeding and watching and failed attempts.

Shortly after we got our first three kitties, we came back and adopted another kitty from the shelter, a month after we drop her and her siblings in that shelter to get adopted. We just couldn’t stop thinking about her. Unfortunately, we lost that kitty before she was even a year old.

After that tragedy, we decided to foster 3 kittens and the shelter threw in an extra kitten that they had just rescued that same day. All four ended up being a foster fail. And yes, even after that we went and got yet another kitty but this time from Craigslists. Now we are proud mothers of 8 cats!

I took my experience, photography knowledge and artistic eye to focus on the cat niche on social media where I currently develop creative content for other cat lovers like ourselves. I take this side business very seriously and push myself to learn everything there is to know about starting an online business in the world we are living on today. And that’s where I am now!

Thanks for stopping by and reading a little bit about myself.

On this website you will find some of my digital work, my traditional art portfolio, my store and, my brand new illustrated cat blog.

Don’t hesitate to contact me for any inquiries.