Collection: Sam Toft

Introduction

What makes Sam Toft art truly original is that her earliest ambitions were never to become an artist at all. As a child she dreamed of working in a post office or joining a circus that would accept clumsy acrobats and had a nice elephant or two. That unexpected path from practical daydreams to creating one of Britain’s best-loved imaginary worlds gives every Sam Toft artwork its unique charm and heartfelt authenticity.

Sam Toft is a contemporary British artist celebrated for her whimsical narrative paintings and prints that follow the gentle adventures of Mr Ernest Hemingway Mustard, his wife Violet and their portly Jack Russell terrier Doris. Set in a breezy seaside world of faded ice-cream colours, Sam Toft artwork captures everyday moments of companionship, quiet humour and quiet resilience. Collectors treasure Sam Toft prints for their uplifting spirit, tactile mixed-media surfaces and the sense that life, even with its challenges, remains utterly delicious.

Biography

Sam Toft was born in June 1964 in Staffordshire. She grew up with a vivid imagination and close contact with animals, as her mother ran an Alsatian breeding kennel. After A-levels she spent a year as an au pair in France before studying at Kingston Polytechnic, where she completed a BA in Applied Social Science after transferring from a business course.

A succession of varied jobs followed, including fire extinguisher sales person, death grants advisor, Wedgwood Rooms worker, silver service waitress, catering manager, barmaid, cleaner, yoga teacher and civil servant. In her mid-twenties she moved to Liverpool to live with her sister and enrolled on a part-time BTEC in General Art and Design at City of Liverpool Community College. An inspirational teacher gave her the confidence to pursue her pictures seriously.

She has lived in many places across England and now makes her home on the Brighton and Hove coast, where she keeps a seaside studio and a small menagerie that has included dogs, fish and a budgerigar named Almondine. Much of her inspiration comes from daily walks along the pebble beaches and through the Sussex woods. After treatment for breast cancer in 2019 she adopted a slower, more deliberate pace of working, exploring sculpture and writing alongside her painting while continuing to create the World of Mustard that has brought joy to so many.

Achievements

• Creation of the World of Mustard: Invented the enduring characters Ernest Hemingway Mustard, Violet and Doris, whose gentle, humorous lives have become instantly recognisable in British contemporary art.
• Wide Popular Appeal: Sam Toft artwork has been published internationally as limited edition prints, open editions, cards, posters, calendars, mugs and stationery, reaching a broad and loyal audience.
• Successful Solo Shows: Regular exhibitions of original paintings and drawings, many of which sell out rapidly, alongside ongoing representation through selected venues.
• Charitable Contribution: Created special works to support mental health charities, helping raise significant funds through dedicated pictures and remarqued editions.
• Distinctive Technique: Developed a unique mixed-media approach using oil pastels, coloured inks, scraffito and finger-and-thumb methods that give Sam Toft prints and originals their characteristic tactile quality.
• Resilient Creative Journey: Transformed a series of unrelated jobs and a mid-life return to art into a full-time practice that continues to evolve with honesty, humour and gratitude.

Sam Toft Artwork & Prints

Sam Toft artwork centres on the everyday adventures of the Mustard family and their eccentric pets. Whether sharing a stolen kiss, dancing in their slippers, walking along a windy prom or simply sitting together looking out to sea, the scenes are filled with quiet affection and gentle humour. The faded ice-cream palette and breezy coastal settings evoke a nostalgic yet timeless British seaside atmosphere.

Limited edition and open edition Sam Toft prints translate the charm of her original mixed-media paintings into accessible works for the home. Many collectors also seek remarqued editions, which feature tiny original drawings that make each print unique. From small mounted pieces to larger framed works, Sam Toft prints bring warmth, optimism and a sense of shared humanity into any space.

Artistic Style & Technique

Sam Toft’s style is narrative, naive and deeply personal. She works primarily with mixed media on a relatively small scale, beginning with soft pencil drawings before layering oil pastels in swift, energetic strokes. Coloured inks are then washed over the surface and scraped back to create rich texture and depth. The result is a distinctive tactile quality that feels both spontaneous and carefully considered.

Her compositions are beautifully balanced yet full of movement — the wind is often blowing, coats and scarves flap, and characters lean into one another with quiet intimacy. Themes of companionship, isolation, love and resilience are handled with openness and an irrepressible sense of fun. This approach produces Sam Toft artwork that is instantly accessible while carrying deeper emotional resonance, making every print and painting feel like a shared moment of everyday magic.