BIO
Vanessa Osmon, born in 1978, is an artist who calls Southwest Florida home. She was a Bachelor of Fine Arts candidate specializing in Drawing at the University of Central Florida (1996-2000)v and holds a Bachelor of Science in Art Education (2002-2005) also from the University of Central Florida. Additionally, she studied under Professional Painter and Portrait Artist Dominique Medici from 2021-2023. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts specializing in Painting at Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. She is a member of the National Association of Women Artists and the Women's Caucus for Art. She has been in numerous group shows throughout the United States, including New York City. As a former military spouse, she has lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle but presently resides in Huntsville, AL. She is an adjunct Professor at University of North Alabama.
Statement
In my primary focus- the Military Spouse series, I render portraits and figurative work on paper and canvas that depict these individuals in a disrupted manner. My figures dissolve into loosely painted backgrounds, or brushstrokes from the background break into them. Additionally, the surface reveals traces of previously unresolved figures or figures partially obscured by brushwork and lines.
My process leans heavily on the descriptive power of line and layering. Line often defines the figures while spray paint, gouache, and oil paint are brushed through them to destabilize them. This process is continuously repeated to construct layered surfaces that agitate and entwine with figures. It is a balance between destruction, happenstance, and intention.
As a military spouse residing on West Point, NY- I use my work to investigate identity and belonging. Additionally, through a feminist lens, I look at the disruption to our lives, preservation and loss of personal identity, and the community experienced. My work explores these themes through a process that emerged similar to military life: the chaotic and relentless cycle of breaking down and starting over.