Samara grew up in the woods outside of Seattle, Washington, climbing trees and swimming in lakes. After high school she moved to Chicago to attain a BFA at the School of Art Institute of Chicago in photography. She then crossed the country to Los Angeles for a MFA at USC in sculpture. Teaching art to children is directly related to this background in art. In 2010, with her 2 small children in tow, she rented a storefront and opened Purple Twig, an art studio for kids and families in Los Angeles. It has been going strong since then.
