Sam Damman takes up painting during COVID
Sam posing with just a sampling of her work.
Franklin assistant branch manager Samantha Damman has been making our locked-down world a little more colorful — by learning to paint since the COVID-19 pandemic hit America.
“When I first started, last March, I would go on YouTube and follow an artist’s instructions to make whatever painting they made,” Sam says. In fact, Shorelines featured some of her and daughter Layla’s early work last spring. “Now I look for different ideas on Google or try to come up with my own.”
The sketches for her NHL logo paintings took about four hours, Sam says. (Click to see a larger version.) The painting itself, which she’s holding in the photo above, took over 10 hours.
The first time she painted was at a “paint and wine” event about a year and a half ago, with two other North Shore Bank employees. “I thought for sure my painting would turn out horrible and was shocked it didn’t. Then, once COVID started, I realized I was going to die of boredom — or go crazy with a 6-year old — if I didn’t find something to do. My daughter loves art and painting, so I figured it was something we could do together,” she says.
Sam works in acrylic paint and estimates she spends over 20 hours a week painting. She paints a lot on her off days and says she used to paint more after work, but it was too easy to lose track of time and go to bed late. She guesses she has put out over 50 paintings.
“At one point I had a whole wall filled up with them,” she says. “I gave most of those away to people on a ‘pay it forward’ Facebook page — I couldn’t believe how many people were actually interested in them! I am working on filling a wall again. However, my downstairs neighbor’s kids also love my paintings, making it hard to do — their wall will be full before mine!”
Want to share your hobby in Shorelines? Reach out at shorelines@northshorebank.com. •••
Reminder! SOAR award nominations due next Friday
Have a colleague who’s done a truly outstanding job of making our customer promises a reality, or who does outstanding work in their community? Recognize them with a nomination for North Shore Bank’s annual SOAR Together awards.
Go here for details on the three award nomination categories. Winners will each receive $500 and a SOAR Together recognition plaque. You can see our past winners at the link under “Annual Awards Overview.”
All employees are eligible to win these awards, so nominate someone today! The nomination period will close Friday, March 12. A nominating committee will then review the entries and select one winner for each award. Winners will be announced in April.
Submissions must clearly and completely describe why the nominee is deserving of this recognition. Please be sure your comments provide the committee with a full and accurate understanding of the reasons for your nomination. We look forward to reading your submissions! —Molly Schissler, SVP, Human Resources & Compliance •••
Take a one-minute break from judging yourself
Most of us — human beings, that is — can be judgy. We judge each other, we judge ourselves — and we usually find whatever we judge wanting. It’s hard to live with what might feel like a constant barrage of criticism in our heads!
Try this meditation for one minute every day, or longer if you want to:
STOP AND WITHDRAW into the cave of your heart. In this silent place, there is no getting it right, no doing it right. Allow yourself just to be here, with all of your faults and flaws. It is OK to stop here for a moment, to allow yourself just to be.
This meditation was adapted from A Mindful Day: 365 Ways to Live Life with Peace, Clarity, and an Open Heart, by David Dillard-Wright. How did it go for you? Share your thoughts and feelings in Shorelines and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book!
If you would like a FREE daily email reminder to do one minute of mindfulness, email us with the subject line “Mindfulness reminder.” •••
HELOCs offer flexibility and more for homeowners
Homeowners sometimes need extra liquid funds for remodeling or renovations, and a home equity line of credit — or HELOC — is often an excellent solution. A HELOC loan offers a lot of flexibility, as you can use it on whatever you’d like, whether that’s home improvement, paying down higher-interest debt, making a large purchase like a car or boat, or covering college expenses. North Shore Bank HELOCs feature competitive interest rates and the option to convert a portion of the loan to a fixed rate.
Muskego branch manager Stephanie Bluemel recently recorded a video sharing more information about the benefits of a North Shore Bank HELOC. You can watch it on your personal device at: youtu.be/bczCXWpKh10 You can also find out more or apply for a HELOC here. •••
Promotions for February 2021
The following employees were promoted in February:
- Aubrey Abrahamson was promoted from Universal Banker to Personal Banker at Allouez.
- Anna Levine was promoted from Universal Banker to Personal Banker at Fox Point.
- Nicole Ndanda was promoted from Teller to Teller Supervisor at Wauwatosa.
- Tyler Quinn was promoted from Personal Banker to Assistant Branch Manager at Mequon.
Leave a comment to congratulate them!
New Hires for March 4
It’s always exciting to add new members to our team. Here are some of the fresh faces at North Shore Bank.
Ashwaubenon teller Samuel Hall is from Green Bay. He previously worked at Walgreens. “I am the fourth of five children with three nephews who were all born last year,” he says. In his free time, Samuel plays tabletop games including Magic: The Gathering, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Catan. He adds: “In high school, I competed in saber fencing tournaments through my school.” •••
What’s Going On: March 4
Family Free Day at the Milwaukee County Zoo will take place Saturday, March 6, when the zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. Come and enjoy the zoo at no admission cost (parking and concession fees still apply), sponsored by North Shore Bank. This will be the last Family Free Day until October, so get while the getting is good! More information here.
Support the 2021 Cerebral Palsy Telethon! On Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7, this event is collecting funds to help infants, children, and adults dealing with CP in northeast Wisconsin. North Shore Bank will be helping answer calls, and you can help or donate too. The telethon will also be aired on WBAY TV-2. More information here.
Match Madness MKE is a community fundraising event in support of local hunger relief. All donations made to Hunger Task Force through March 12 will be matched by a group of local donors (Sargento, Rexnord and others). Hunger Task Force has been stretching resources to make sure that kids and families have access to healthy foods during difficult times. Your support through this campaign will take your gift twice as far! More information here.
The Milwaukee Business Journal Virtual Power Breakfast presented by North Shore Bank takes place Friday, March 12, from 8 to 9 a.m. Bill Westrate, CEO-elect of American Family Insurance, will give an update on the impact of the pandemic on the company, along with his plans for the firm’s growth. More information here. •••