Last weekend was the opening for Waking Willow, and I’m honored to share some of the paintings and drawings from the show. This exhibition features drawings, paintings, and collaborations I did with artist Toobz Muir. The show comes at the 3-year mark of a dear connection that bloomed from an online chance meeting and grew into a shared vision and deeper understanding based on life’s experiences and our drive to create and communicate through our art. He and I live in different states and shared panels and drawings with each other via mail in order to collaborate. Our show’s recent opening reception brought the two of us together in person for the first time in those 3 years. The collaboration really covered not only the pieces in the show but the dialogues and bond that bloomed from our connection as well, which we feel really began to reveal itself in the work, and expanded far beyond the imagery that has flourished from this wonderful harmony.

Waking Willow is a world we created, a connection unfolding into a safe space to share dialogues of imagery in the form of drawings, paintings, and collaborations. As we allowed the subconscious to unravel and reveal the mysteries of what we find in the unknowns, we wandered with wonder in healing through the canopies of our lives. Working through the layers that veil and develop personal stories connected by experiences that offer an awakening from the darkest of places into golden moments leading us further into learning a deeper sense of who we are.

I’m so grateful for Toobz and this experience of sharing and combining our vision and voices to conjure these pieces, and for his support and encouragement on this journey. I look forward to more sharing and collaborating in the future. Waking Willow is just the beginning. We are already planning on how we will expand on this experience and create work for future projects. Also, a big thanks out to Copro Gallery for giving us the opportunity to share our world in their gallery space. We had a wonderful time at the opening, connecting with new friends and hearing thoughts about the work. Below are a few of the 30 new pieces in this show.

If you’d like to see more, visit Copro Gallery’s preview page here: Waking Willow: the art and collaborations of Vanessa Lemen and Toobz Muir. And look for future posts sharing our combined vision and collaborations as we grow and evolve the story we share. For now, I hope you enjoy these pieces below.

Waking Willow, Vanessa Lemen, oil on panel, 24 x 18″

 

Embedded Dismay, Toobz Muir, acrylic on cradled panel, 14 x 11″

 

Gracious ghost of you, Toobz Muir, graphite on paper, 10.5 x 8″

 

Outriders, Vanessa Lemen, oil on cradled panel, 8 x 8″

 

The limbs of life left low, (collab) Vanessa Lemen & Toobz Muir, graphite on paper, 10.5 x 8″

 

Sonic companion, Vanessa Lemen, oil on cradled panel, 16 x 20″

 

Raveled in the fabric, (collab) Vanessa Lemen & Toobz Muir, graphite on paper, 11 x 8″

 

Things I need to say, Toobz Muir, acrylic on cradled panel, 14 11″

 

First, (collab) Vanessa Lemen & Toobz Muir, graphite on paper, 10.5 x 8″

 

Loment, (collab) Vanessa Lemen & Toobz Muir, graphite on paper, 10.5 x 8″