Vanessa Turner Pastel & Charcoal Artist
THE ARTIST
Creating art that celebrates our ancestral environmental connections
I am a self taught charcoal and pastel artist living and working on the beautiful island of Bermuda.
I create art that explores the harmony found between the Afro-Caribbean Culture and Mother Nature. Through visual storytelling, and by remaining highly sensitive to the subtleties of light and shadow, I create dramatic nuances that highlight this harmony.
I believe we all have an inherent connection to nature. There is a passionate love for life and all that is alive. Hence, the way that we feel when we go outside, is more than a simple case of happiness in the face of beauty. There is something about the natural world that feeds our deepest selves and nurtures us from the inside out.
So, no matter how much we may now consider ourselves distinctly separated from our environment, we and Mother Nature are one. The more we embody this concept, the greater our synergy with life. The meaning we make of our lives – what we call our culture, grew from Mother Nature’s soil. Thus, we will be all the more richer from our understanding of our roots.
My work is created to nurture you, heal you, and evolve your space by drawing a correlation between culture and Mother Nature so that you may bring the beauty of outdoors indoors.
Vanessa Turner is described as a multi-passionate multi-careerist. She is an artist, creativity coach and engineer.
Vanessa is a self-taught artist living and working on the beautiful island of Bermuda and primarily works in charcoal and pastel. She has been exhibiting professionally for a number of years and is the recipient of numerous awards. Her work is published internationally and she is represented in many private collections around the globe.
Her painting techniques stem from trial and error. So, over the years she has developed her own techniques which primarily encompass bits and pieces from the many approaches she has learned over time. Vanessa does not follow any particular school of thought and prefers to use painting techniques that are reliable yet fun.
Vanessa takes care to use top of the line archival materials for her art and framing to ensure her work lasts for generations to come.
Selected Solo & Group Exhibitions
Ancestral Call – Akwaaba Gallery Newark, New Jersey (2021)
Member’s Summer Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2021)
Marks of Distinction – Central Mass Pastel Society (2021)
Soul of a Badass Warrior – Akwaaba Gallery Newark, New Jersey (2021)
Vanishing Boundaries Exhibition – Akwaaba Gallery Newark, New Jersey (2020)
Emancipation Exhibition – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2020)
‘Live Love Life’ Anti Violence Exhibition – The Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art (2020)
Charman Prize Exhibition – The Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art (2019)
Member’s Fall Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2019)
Pink – The Bermuda Arts Centre Dockyard (2019)
Solo Exhibition: Roots to Royalty – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2018)
Member’s Spring Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2018)
Sea & Sky – The Bermuda Arts Centre Dockyard (2018)
Small Works Show – The Bermuda Arts Center Dockyard (2017)
Tranquility – The Bermuda Arts Centre Dockyard (2015)
Purple – The Bermuda Arts Centre Dockyard (2015)
Atlantic Garden – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2015)
Custom Made (Frameworks Bermuda) – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2014)
Member’s Summer Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2014)
Slow Down Look Around – The Bermuda Arts Center at Dockyard (2014)
Small Works Holiday Show – The Bermuda Arts Center at Dockyard (2013)
Solo Exhibition: Commonplace Beauty – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2013)
Annual Drawing & Painting Competition (Juried) – The Bermuda Arts Center at Dockyard (2013)
Member’s Winter Show – The Bermuda Arts Center at Dockyard (2013)
Small Works Show – The Bermuda Arts Center (2012)
Wet Exhibition – The Bermuda Arts Center (2012)
Member’s Fall Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2012)
Summer Lovin (Select Artists Collaboration) – Common Ground Cafe (2012)
Member’s Spring Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2012)
Just Pastels XI – The Bermuda Arts Center at Dockyard (2011)
Charman Prize (Juried) – The Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art (2011)
Member’s Spring Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2011)
Member’s Winter Show – The Bermuda Society of Arts (2010)
Just Pastels X – The Bermuda Arts Center at Dockyard (2010)
The Bacardi Biennial – The Bermuda National Gallery (2006)
Awards, Recognition & Special Engagements
2019 Outstanding Contribution to the Arts – The Government of Bermuda, Dept. of Education
2018 Artist Talk – The Bermuda College, Lifelong Learning Program
2013 Honourable Mention – Bermuda Arts Center, Annual Drawing & Painting Competition
Publications & Features
A Portrait Drawing of “Indomitable Will”, Cherie Haas, Online Editor,
Art Journey Portraits and Figures, Edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf, ISBN 1440336997
Professional Development
Building the Coaching Relationship with Creative Clients (R. Fortier), 2019
Business Planning and Success Strategies for Creativity Coaches (S. Good), 2019
Introduction to Creativity Coaching (Dr. E. Maisel), 2019
Advanced Creativity Coaching (Dr. E. Maisel), 2019
New Masters Academy, 2017
International Association of Pastel Societies Biennial Convention (Workshops & Demos), 2017
International Association of Pastel Societies Biennial Convention (Workshops & Demos), 2013
The Sharon Wilson School of Art, 2010 – 2012
Professional Affiliations
Creativity Coaching Association
Bermuda Society of Arts
The Bermuda Arts Centre at Dockyard
The Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art
The Pastel Society of America
Vanessa Turner primarily works in pastel and charcoal. You can read more about each medium below:
What is pastel?
Pastel is created by combining powdered pure pigment with a binder, a combination which dates back to prehistoric cave paintings. However, pastels as we know them today, date back to the late 1400s. The term pastel painting refers to artwork where the pastel covers the majority of the support, leaving little paper visible. Ultimately, when protected by glass, pastel often outlast works in other mediums. It never cracks, darkens or fades.
What is charcoal?
Charcoal is a dry art medium made from grounded materials held together by binder. Firstly, there are three main types of charcoal. Compressed charcoal is typically shaped into sticks and/or blocks. Vine charcoal is created by burning sticks in vines in a kiln without air. Lastly, similar to graphite pencils, charcoal pencils are made from compressed charcoal wrapped with a layer of wood.
THE COACH & STRATEGIST
Helping visual artists leverage their artistic identity and master the art of selling art – so they can build thriving businesses.
As an Artist Coach it would be out of integrity if I didn’t share how I got here.
Whilst I’ve always had a strong passion for art, I didn’t study or ‘formally train’ in fine art. I took art in high school, but then gravitated towards the sciences as I was always advised art was merely a ‘hobby’.
I obtained a degree in Engineering followed by an MBA. Years after graduating, while managing a new career and motherhood, I tried to begin creating again. And it felt IMPOSSIBLE! The process was so frustrating, that it led to a 3yr hiatus from creating. But my calling became too loud to ignore. So I embarked on a mission to develop a creative practice which aligned with my lifestyle and began extensive studies on the business of fine art.
Fast forward to present day, I’ve been exhibiting professionally for over 15 years and am grateful to have been the recipient of numerous awards. My work is published internationally, and I’m represented in many private collections around the globe. The experience has been so impactful that I’ve found myself drawn to help other’s do the same!
I’m intimately familiar with the challenges that artists face. I know the struggle of balancing an art career with the responsibilities of motherhood or another profession. And I know what it takes to create a thriving business. – I’m here to help light the way as you embrace your passion and make art a bigger part of your life!
Vanessa Turner is an Artist Coach & Strategist, trained through the Creativity Coaching Association. Vanessa works with visual artists like you who share a common dream – To make art a bigger part of your life.
In her years as a professional artists, Vanessa has become intimately familiar with the challenges that artists face in marketing and sales. Implementing a proven strategy is a game changer and Vanessa will ensure you do just that!
Many of Vanessa’s clients have careers in other professions which they wish to maintain for job security. Others want to take the leap into the arts full-time. Whatever your chosen path, Vanessa will help you to achieve greater creative and financial fulfillment by developing productive studio practices, identifying your market in the art world, and attracting aligned collectors online.
Through coaching, you will restore the creative dreams that you have parked to the side and find success in your passion!
A data survey of the permanent collections of 18 prominent art museums in the U.S. found that out of over 10,000 artists, 87% are male!
Throughout life, I experienced the greatest growth when my potential and passion were nurtured by fabulous mentors. These women urged me to grow and learn without fear. Without them, my art would just be a statistic.
Now, it’s time for me to do the same for you!
Let’s get on the right side of the statistics.