“I draw on my memories as a form of meditation to reconcile my past and present emotions.”
Toronto-based, self-taught watercolour artist Vinessa Redford picked up her first paintbrush in February 2021, on a whim, while looking for a creative outlet to help her navigate the winter months of the pandemic.
“I signed up for online courses, live workshops over Zoom, and sought out thrifted art books to learn the fundamentals of painting, as well as thrifted illustrated flower books for additional inspiration.”
“I signed up for online courses, live workshops over Zoom, and sought out thrifted art books to learn the fundamentals of painting, as well as thrifted illustrated flower books for additional inspiration.”
From dance to photography to painting
However, painting wasn’t always her choice of creative expression. Before painting, she explored dance, and later, fine art photography—and today, she beautifully combines all her artistic expressions in her watercolour art. Completely mesmerised by the movements of pigments through water, she feels only watercolour allows her to achieve the softness and transparencies she seeks to create in her art.
When out in the world, she loves to gather inspiration by taking photos of what she sees. Her long practice in fine art nature photography developed the foundation in which she taps into to create dynamic lines and shapes in her paintings.
“I use my photography to capture imagery that I loosely reference in my paintings, and I paint while listening to music and allow my brushes to dance across my paper.”
Over the last 10 years, Vinessa has established her visual language through fine art nature photography, developing a unique painterly style to capture the mood of florals and landscapes. Her photography has been internationally exhibited in Athens, Hanoi, Melbourne and New York City. She describes her art as intuitive and semi-abstract, as it is inspired by nature and drawn from memory.
“I draw on my memories as a form of meditation to reconcile my past and present emotions.”
However, painting wasn’t always her choice of creative expression. Before painting, she explored dance, and later, fine art photography—and today, she beautifully combines all her artistic expressions in her watercolour art. Completely mesmerised by the movements of pigments through water, she feels only watercolour allows her to achieve the softness and transparencies she seeks to create in her art.
When out in the world, she loves to gather inspiration by taking photos of what she sees. Her long practice in fine art nature photography developed the foundation in which she taps into to create dynamic lines and shapes in her paintings.
“I use my photography to capture imagery that I loosely reference in my paintings, and I paint while listening to music and allow my brushes to dance across my paper.”
Over the last 10 years, Vinessa has established her visual language through fine art nature photography, developing a unique painterly style to capture the mood of florals and landscapes. Her photography has been internationally exhibited in Athens, Hanoi, Melbourne and New York City. She describes her art as intuitive and semi-abstract, as it is inspired by nature and drawn from memory.
“I draw on my memories as a form of meditation to reconcile my past and present emotions.”
Transforming grief into creative expression
After the loss of her mother at the age of 7, Vinessa was raised in rural northern Alberta by her eccentric, rebellious and creative grandmother, who encouraged her to explore nature as a way to heal from the grief of their loss.
“In those formative years up north is where I developed my deep love of wildflowers, and I cherish my memories of exploring the beautiful and rugged boreal forest with my late grandmother.”
As an adult, she continues to find solace in nature, going for hikes whenever possible and seeking out inspiration in city gardens and front yards.
After the loss of her mother at the age of 7, Vinessa was raised in rural northern Alberta by her eccentric, rebellious and creative grandmother, who encouraged her to explore nature as a way to heal from the grief of their loss.
“In those formative years up north is where I developed my deep love of wildflowers, and I cherish my memories of exploring the beautiful and rugged boreal forest with my late grandmother.”
As an adult, she continues to find solace in nature, going for hikes whenever possible and seeking out inspiration in city gardens and front yards.
Her creative process
Vinessa’s vivid, loose watercolour florals are not premeditated. She enjoys working intuitively, without the direct use of reference materials or underdrawings. She wholeheartedly embraces exploration and experimentation of her tools and go-to medium—a process she invites others to explore as well.
“This [creative philosophy] is also the cornerstone for my vision of community, as I seek to encourage others to pick up a brush and create if they feel so inclined, to further explore their inner world.”
Vinessa’s vivid, loose watercolour florals are not premeditated. She enjoys working intuitively, without the direct use of reference materials or underdrawings. She wholeheartedly embraces exploration and experimentation of her tools and go-to medium—a process she invites others to explore as well.
“This [creative philosophy] is also the cornerstone for my vision of community, as I seek to encourage others to pick up a brush and create if they feel so inclined, to further explore their inner world.”
From mark to masterpiece
Vinessa often begins her paintings with either a simple stem or mark to suggest the shape of a flower petal. From there, as she works with wet-on-wet techniques, she observes and reacts to the flow of water in her painting and allows the composition to emerge. Her tools of choice include a variety of synthetic and sable hair round, pointed round and rigger brushes, as well as palette knives.
Vinessa often begins her paintings with either a simple stem or mark to suggest the shape of a flower petal. From there, as she works with wet-on-wet techniques, she observes and reacts to the flow of water in her painting and allows the composition to emerge. Her tools of choice include a variety of synthetic and sable hair round, pointed round and rigger brushes, as well as palette knives.
Creating the right atmosphere for creativity
To always stay inspired, Vinessa fills her home with items that spark joy and creativity: photos from her childhood, dried floral bouquets, trinkets from her mother and grandmother. She often paints in the evenings at her kitchen table, which she converts to a studio desk with her art supplies. From TV and film scores to modern classical music to singer-songwriters, she always listens to music when creating, as it helps quiet her mind.
“As a dancer, I can’t help but allow the music to guide my brush to dance across my paper to create expressive brush marks.”
To always stay inspired, Vinessa fills her home with items that spark joy and creativity: photos from her childhood, dried floral bouquets, trinkets from her mother and grandmother. She often paints in the evenings at her kitchen table, which she converts to a studio desk with her art supplies. From TV and film scores to modern classical music to singer-songwriters, she always listens to music when creating, as it helps quiet her mind.
“As a dancer, I can’t help but allow the music to guide my brush to dance across my paper to create expressive brush marks.”
Given her connection with music and cinema, she also enjoys creating short-form videos of her paintings from start to finish that feature music timed with her brush strokes. She feels this best conveys the emotional essence of her paintings and gives viewers a meditative and intimate look into her intuitive creative process.
Going beyond tradition
“As a self-taught painter, I have developed lyrical, expressive and unconventional brushwork techniques, and at times, controversial.”
Vinessa feels unencumbered by the traditional rules of watercolour brushwork, constantly exploring new techniques to push the boundaries of her tools, whether by modifying her brushes to create sharp and jagged marks to suggest the stamen of a flower, or by allowing her rigger brushes to snap across the page to suggest the veins of tattered leaves.
“As a self-taught painter, I have developed lyrical, expressive and unconventional brushwork techniques, and at times, controversial.”
Vinessa feels unencumbered by the traditional rules of watercolour brushwork, constantly exploring new techniques to push the boundaries of her tools, whether by modifying her brushes to create sharp and jagged marks to suggest the stamen of a flower, or by allowing her rigger brushes to snap across the page to suggest the veins of tattered leaves.
Art as a way of life
Although Vinessa has a career outside of art, it has become a significant part of her life.
“I cannot imagine my life without painting. I have found a deep passion for watercolour. Painting has become my main creative outlet and part of my daily life.”
Vinessa is currently working on the release of her first collection.
Although Vinessa has a career outside of art, it has become a significant part of her life.
“I cannot imagine my life without painting. I have found a deep passion for watercolour. Painting has become my main creative outlet and part of my daily life.”
Vinessa is currently working on the release of her first collection.
