American Experiment pt.1

by Sam Grudge

Available Original · one unique painting

What if the most powerful nation on Earth was built upon love? That question wouldn't leave me alone — and this is my answer, or at least the beginning of one. The stripes are all there, red and white, bold as ever. But where the stars would be, I put hearts. Fifty of them, give or take, glowing white inside a deep blue field. Not a flag exactly — more like a wish dressed up as one. America has always felt to me like an ongoing experiment, restless and unfinished, magnificent and contradictory. I'm an American living far from home, and I hold that distance like a lens. From here, I see both the fractures and the fire. This painting is not nostalgia and it's not critique — it's a question I keep asking. What would it look like if love were the founding principle, not just the rhetoric? Part one, because I don't think one painting is enough to hold that question.

American Experiment pt.1

This original artwork

Presentation
oil on canvas
Price
€ 1.880,00

Free shipping to 17 European countries

Delivery and returns
American Experiment pt.1 Limited Edition Print

Limited Edition

Size
60 × 60 cm
Run size
20
Presentation
Mounted on Dibond, American-box frame
Price
€ 750,00
American Experiment pt.1 — close-up view
Open Edition An open edition for this artwork does not exist. Send me a note if you would be interested in one.

Not sure which edition is right for you?

Read more about the differences between originals, limited and open editions

Product specifications

Artwork type
Original (unique item)
Medium / Support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
50 × 50 × 4 cm
Frame
None
Completed
2025
Current location
In Studio
Dominant colors
Styles
pop art · symbolism · contemporary · graphic art
Keywords
#americanart #heartart #popinspired #patriotic #contemporarypainting

The collector’s proof

Studio certificate with handwritten signature and fingerprint
Certificate example from the studio archive.

Its story stays with you.

“A little of my soul goes into each painting. I want you to know where it came from—and that it is the original.”

Sam Grudge

  • A hand-signed certificate. Your certificate carries my signature. A copy stays in my studio register.
  • My fingerprint, on both. The fingerprint on your certificate matches the one on the artwork.
  • A matching serial number. A mechanically stamped number connects the painting to its certificate.
  • Signed front and back. My signature belongs to the painting itself, not just its paperwork.
  • Heart stamps in the wood. Stamped marks on the chassis and, when included, the frame help validate its origin—usually with hearts in several places on the chassis.
  • A person you can ask. Come back to me whenever you want to validate your certificate.
MoonlightSigned, fingerprinted and stamped.
SprinklesHandmade oak, signed and stamped.

Original artworks from the studio, shown as authentication examples—not the reverse of American Experiment pt.1.

A 100 × 100 cm solid-oak frame handmade by Sam, on the workbench in his workshop

The frame is part of the work.

I build from raw lumber or paint and adapt an existing frame—always as part of the painting.

  • Made to belong. Shape, finish and colour chosen for this painting.
  • Signed and marked. My writing and stamps authenticate both frame and painting.

See Product specifications for this artwork’s framing. Ask me about options.

Sam’s custom blue wooden shipping crate with red heart-shaped corner protectors

A crate made for your painting.

I make a unique wooden crate for each painting, usually with a textured finish. Protection with personality.

  • Built for this journey. Custom-built by me, in the studio, for your painting.
  • Protection, with a little style. 3D-printed heart corners protect the box from shipping damage—and look good doing it.

A custom crate, from my workshop to your doorstep.

See how I make the crates

From my studio.
To your door.

I pack your artwork and arrange its journey. You’ll know how it’s protected—and who to talk to.

Free hand
delivery.

Belgium & Luxembourg

Brought to your door by me or someone I trust, at no delivery charge.

Usually 2–3 daysfrom purchase, on average.

FedEx everywhere else.

FedEx

We’ve partnered with FedEx for the best possible shipping experience. Regional Economy in Europe, and International Economy to the United States and Canada.

  • Insured for its full valueProtection for the artwork’s full value while it travels.
  • Expected in 5–7 daysCounted from shipping—not from purchase.
  • Signature required on arrivalRequired for a secure handover at your door.
  • Tracked from dispatchYour tracking number arrives as soon as your artwork ships. Follow its journey on fedex.com.

Allow about two days to prepare the handmade crate before dispatch. Transit times are estimates; destination and customs checks can affect arrival.

Don’t miss these gems.

Delivery and returns

Start a conversation with me

Have a question about American Experiment pt.1, its presentation or delivery? Send me a note.

Start a conversation with me

Have a question about American Experiment pt.1, its presentation or delivery? Send me a note.

Start a conversation with me

An open edition for this artwork does not exist. Send me a note if you would be interested in one.

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