Sam Gilliam's artistic journey in the 1950s was marked by his formative years and early exploration in the realm of painting. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1933, and later moving to Louisville, Kentucky, Gilliam's early life was steeped in a creative environment. His initial aspiration to be a cartoonist transitioned into a more profound engagement with fine art, influenced by encouragement from his family and a vibrant home life rich in creativity​ (Wikipedia)​. Gilliam's formal education in art began with his undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville, where he graduated with a B.A. in painting in 1955. This period was significant for Gilliam, exposing him to a variety of artistic influences, including German Expressionists like Paul Klee and Emil Nolde, and igniting his interest in abstract art. His mentors, notably Ulfert Wilke, played a pivotal role in shaping his artistic direction, encouraging experimentation with watercolors and a less controlled approach to painting. This advice to embrace serendipity in his work would become a hallmark of Gilliam's style​ (Wikipedia)​. After serving in the United States Army and spending time in Japan, where he was exposed to international art movements and the work of Yves Klein, Gilliam returned to the University of Louisville for his master's degree. His graduate thesis, influenced by the Bay Area Figurative Movement, edged towards abstraction, a direction that would define his career. Despite challenges and initial resistance to his thesis work, Gilliam's relentless exploration of abstract figurative painting laid the groundwork for his distinctive style​ (Wikipedia)​. By the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, Gilliam's artistic voice had begun to crystallize around abstraction, spurred by feedback from his first solo exhibition and mentorship from figures like Thomas Downing of the Washington Color School. Gilliam's shift towards fully abstract watercolor paintings marked a pivotal moment in his career, leading him to embrace abstraction and explore the boundaries of color, form, and texture that would characterize his later work​ (Wikipedia)​​ (Artsy)​. Sam Gilliam's art in the 1950s, therefore, encapsulates a period of exploration, learning, and transition. From cartooning to abstract painting, his journey reflects a deepening engagement with the materials, techniques, and conceptual challenges of art, setting the stage for his groundbreaking contributions to abstract expressionism and the Color Field movement.