Biography

My practice has gone from predominantly painting for many years to focusing on a love for construction and the 3-dimensional form.  Using wire and pliers, the physical process of building up and holding a form as it comes to life is what really draws me to create sculptures based on wildlife and the human figure.  The ability to tell a story through sculpture and how it’s environment can influence that story are all important components to the approach to my work.

These sculptures have been commissioned both privately as well as for large scale public art commissions.  Although sculptures are the starting point, two-dimensional work is still integral to my process.  Once completed, playing with light and shadow, these sculptures go on to influence drawings and paintings on to a variety of surfaces.  A continuous curiosity for experimenting with a variety of materials, such as resin, plaster and concrete, the play element is a huge part of the way I work, with the process being just as exciting as the final piece.  One work can evolve into a whole series of works, which as the maker, keeps the whole practice exciting and open ended.

Bio

In 1993 Vanessa attended a 9-month programme at Lorenzo De Medici, School of Art, Florence, Italy studying figurative drawing and painting, then continued to live, work and paint in Switzerland until January 1998 when she obtained an 18-month sponsorship to attend The New York Studio School of Drawing Painting and Sculpture.  Vanessa then won scholarships from the school to complete the three-year program, including a 4-month exchange in autumn 2000 to the Ecole de Beaux Arte, Marseille, France.

After graduating from the Studio School in spring 2001, she was accepted to take part in the Studioscape Residency Program run by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council on the 91st Floor of the North Tower of the Twin Towers.  The residency was tragically ended on September 11th, which then forced Vanessa to return to Scotland where she works as a full time artist.

 

 

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