Since 2021 I have been integrating landscape, more recently the garden, into my compositions. Elements from the natural world are used symbolically and metaphorically to represent and express states of the psychic self. Using flora and fauna alongside the figure, recent works portray moments of tranquility, contemplation, surrender and epiphany. The garden is presented as a mythical space where the viewer is invited to embark on their own journey of introspection and revelation.

Vanessa McKernan

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As a painter the studio is where I embark on an exploration of life's profound questions around mortality, love, human connection, and the intricacies of the human psyche. Painting is a means of processing, a way of deciphering the world, and an attempt to understand the infinite complexities of the human person. My compositions work within a narrative structure drawing inspiration from historical artworks, myths, dreams, and personal experiences. I am a graduate of Concordia University's fine art program and a 2020 reciepient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for emerging artists. Though I was born in raised in Toronto, I recently relocated to a rural area of the Ottawa Valley and am converting a dilapidated indoor swimming pool into a 1000 square foot studio space. It has been quite the adventure!