NEW ORLEANS - A local artist uses her talent to highlight the world around her and expose tourists to the distinct culture of The Crescent City.

Decatur Street is a high-traffic area of the French Quarter and it serves as a hub for locals and tourists to showcase their talent. As I passed The Saint Louis Cathedral, one young lady in particular caught my eye. Maybe it was her paintings lining the wrought-iron fence, or the Fleur De Lis covering her grey and black t-shirt. However it happened, something so iconic and representative of The Crescent City grabbed my attention and warranted a conversation with this intriguing individual.

Omega Sampson is a 26-year-old street artist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She spent her childhood improving her free-hand drawing skills and using her imagination as a source of inspiration.

Sampson first picked up a paintbrush at the early age of 7-years-old and since then, she knew she wanted to be an artist.

“I’ve always been interested in color, and I’ve always liked to draw free hand and kind of whimsical,” Sampson said.

She added that art is a reflection of self and should come from within.

“You have to do your own thing and find what works for you,” Sampson said.

Some of her earliest projects were doodles and recreations of the world around her. As time progressed, her medium of choice changed and her skillset improved. Sampson began experimenting with watercolors, canvases, as well as wood surfaces by the time she got to college, graduating from Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in 2009.

Sampson focused her studies in art on digital media while she was at the university, learning about graphic design, web design and 3D modeling. She also took some painting classes at the University of New Orleans following graduation.

Since graduating from Southeastern, art has been her full-time job. She has truly dedicated herself to her profession and proved that it is possible to be successful artist who makes a decent living.

Art for Sampson is therapeutic. She said she is able to release any thoughts she may be holding in and she can really indulge herself in the project she is working on. This allows her to cope with any stress or turmoil she has to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

“I just started painting for fun and I got into doing watercolors, acrylic on wood and paper collages,” Sampson said.

She believes art is more than just a collection of colors on a canvas or a piece of paper, instead Sampson says art adds to the culture and uniqueness of The Big Easy.

“New Orleans is already festive and very cultured. You got the food and the music. I feel like it makes it all the more richer as far as culture and it’s something to be excited about," Sampson said.

She stated that art, food and music collectively creates the ambiance of a city that so many people have come to love. Sampson embodies what it truly means to be an artist. In spite of getting a Bachelor’s degree in a field that some would say is not lucrative, Sampson chose to follow her dreams and pursue a career that would satisfy her inner artist.