Photo credit - Creative Waves © Lorna Allan

Hello I’m Vanessa (Nessy)

Thanks for discovering me, this is my journey:

For me, the hedonistic 90’s were crammed full of creativity & adventure. After graduating from Design BA (Hons) at Staffordshire University in 1994, the call of the ocean seduced me. Fulfilling my childhood ambition to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, my passion led to incredible experiences as a PADI divemaster; from diving with dolphins, sunfish & shipwrecks in the Red Sea; to night dives with sharks & wild encounters with manta rays on a conservation expedition in Borneo.In the early noughties, with my wanderlust satisfied, I found a beautiful place to call home on the Sussex Coast. It's a privilege to live by the sea & it's been the perfect place to raise a family, beachcomb, paddleboard & collaborate with Worthing’s vibrant art community.As well as my own art practice, I like to spark creativity in others and generate opportunities for people to engage with the arts. I co-founded Creative Waves; a not for profit company, that since 2011 has been making a difference by creating community art projects that bring people together, transform places & make people smile.I was fortunate to share a studio/gallery space at Hut 42, East Beach Studios from 2009-2019, although it had the perfect sea view, I needed a larger space & now paint from my own studio.

Inspiration

My work is influenced by my love of the natural world & the visual beauty of patina in urban decay. Inspiration is everywhere; from a delicate leaf, to spectacular seascapes, or a rustic door; exploring the colours & textures through intuitive mark-making. I am drawn to a mesmerizing palette of deep sea blues, rust & verdigris & often portray nature with a fragile, distressed surface, which I hope emphasizes & subtly reflects the earth's environmental crisis.My creative process is led by instinct, emotion & spontaneity, building up layers of paint with mixed media to create a rich depth which evokes a sense of history, place & otherworldliness.

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Events & Exhibtions

2007-2025: Worthing Artists Open Houses (various venues)
2011: Commissioned public artwork from Worthing’s Art CouncilGroup shows:1994: Staffordshire Uni degree show @ Crypt Gallery, London
2011: St Paul’s Art Centre, Worthing
2011: Cactus Gallery, Brighton
2013: Artwave @ Hop Gallery, Lewes
2013: Artwave @ The Crypt, Seaford
2014: St Paul’s Art Centre, Worthing
2019: M(Other) @ Colonnade House Gallery (CHG), Worthing
2020: East Beach Gallery, Worthing
2021: Celebrating 10 Years of Creative Waves @ (CHG), Worthing
2022: Creative Waves: The Garden Room @ (CHG), Worthing
2023: Creative Collaborations with Creative Waves @ (CHG), Worthing
2023: Selected for Open 2023, Worthing Museum Art & Gallery
2024: Creative Waves: Colourful Collaborations @ (CHG), Worthing

© 2025 Vanessa Breen.
All rights reserved

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