About

Vanessa Lemen is an artist whose work provokes a contemplative pause and an intrigue in taking a longer and deeper look. These works act as spirit guides that beckon the viewer’s thoughtful nature and sense of wonder, moving one to look inward and outward with compassion or from a new perspective, to take some time to be attentive to the curious, and perhaps develop a greater sense of unity with others and our surroundings. She describes the creative process as “a safe space to wander, a companion in solitude. It’s where I can be vulnerable and find myself through a deeper connection and communication. I’m grateful when a broadening and reverberating is felt in what’s shared as well.”

Her paintings are layered in subtle allegory, with an explorative process that intertwines expressive marks and brushwork with areas of rendered, tangible forms. These works evolve from dance-like movement as she makes emotive marks directly onto the surface with no projected outcome, and shapes them until the finished image is reached. The culmination of her efforts depicts visions that have the capacity to unravel our perceptions and rethink our views of humanity and connection through the gaze of metaphor and story.

Her work combines her love of being immersed in nature with excerpts from her personal journey, reflection, and introspection. The search for connection mixed with her openness to growth and learning is integral to her spontaneous process, and this deeper exploration has been the impetus of infinite discovery and development in her work and life experiences. Through process and the making of her images, she is continuously revealing the ever-evolving balance of the deep-seated familiar and the vast unknown.

Vanessa's work has been published in the Illustrated Limited Edition books “The Left Hand Of Darkness” and “A Scanner Darkly”, as well as Spectrum, Infected By Art, ImagineFX, American Art Collector, and others. Vanessa also writes monthly columns for Muddy Colors, and is an educator who mentors privately, teaches classes online, and instructs at workshops across the US, with her work earning The Chesley Award, Grand Prize and other awards in Infected By Art, Art Renewal Center’s ARC Salon, and a Spectrum Award nomination.