Victoria Veedell: A Moment In Time
Victoria Veedell is an oil painter, capturing the essence of nature by examining the effects of light on form in the natural world. She is known for her unique approach to the landscape that focuses on relaying the emotional memory of a place and the fleeting moments in time. Veedell’s fascination with the landscape stems more from an interest in exploring our primal connection to the land rather than a focus purely on the aesthetics of a place. Her paintings trace the effect light has on a location, observing how it leaves its mark on the landscape. She captures how light illuminates the essence of nature—creating different moods, transforming scenes, drawing viewers in, focusing their gaze, altering the temperature both physically and emotionally, and capturing movement.
How did your creative journey begin?
My creative journey began at a young age, I was always creating—whether molding animals out of clay, drawing imaginary worlds, crocheting hats and scarves for my dolls, or designing my own clothes in high school. My hands needed to be busy, always immersed in some form of creative expression. College marked a turning point where I began to focus more seriously on art, especially painting. I spent most of my time painting in the studio. My painting professor recognized my dedication and in my last semester gave me the unofficial job of TA to the freshman painters. I knew I wanted to pursue being an artist but still the concept of being an artist was nebulous to me. I didn’t realize that it was possible to be a full-time artist and paint for a living. The only path I saw was through teaching.
After graduation, I spent a transformative summer in France, including a month at a traditional painting atelier where I studied figure and landscape painting. During this time my love for landscape developed. Returning to my hometown, I continued exploring and creating images of the French countryside in pastel and worked on developing my style. While pursuing my art and honing my skills, I worked in a contemporary art gallery and later as a studio assistant for several artists. These day jobs fueled my passion to try and become a full-time artist. My passion for painting never waned; I turned my second bedroom into a studio and eventually rented a studio outside of the home to paint as much as I could at night after work and on the weekends.
Eventually, I moved to New York, continuing to juggle work and my art. After seven vibrant years in the city, I relocated to Tokyo, which marked the beginning of my full-time career as an artist. Because I wasn’t allowed to work in Japan without a visa, I spent my days painting and traveling around the country. During my two years abroad, I realized how much progress can be made and self-confidence gained by dedicating full days to painting. Also, while I was in Japan I started exhibiting my work and pursing opportunities like artist residencies.
I really started to flourish and find my community after moving to San Francisco, where I continued my commitment to painting full-time.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I find inspiration everywhere I go, I take photos with my phone to capture what I see. I use the photos as sketches and memories for my work in the studio. Recently, I've been staying local, finding inspiration in the paths and waterways in and around San Francisco and the Bay Area. I enjoy taking walks as a form of moving meditation, spending time truly looking, noticing and immersing myself in the moment. By staying local I’m able to record the effects of light at different times of day in the same place.
For instance, walking through a park in the morning, where no two mornings are the same; sometimes there is fog that creates a muted light, other times it’s a crisp, clear blue where you can see far into the distance. An evening walk through the same park during the golden hour can change the whole feel of the place allowing for a different emotional response.
Another important way I seek inspiration is through attending artist residencies around the world. This gives me a chance to explore different climates and cultures. Without having any other responsibilities I’m able to immerse myself painting and immediately capture the essence of place and my feelings. I aim to record nature and the effects of light and atmosphere in various parts of the world. No matter where I go, I see beauty all around me.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
My work has evolved over the last few years as I’ve gradually increased the size and scale of my paintings. I have a vision of creating a series of large paintings over 6’ to make an immersive experience that you get the feeling you could walk into or float away in them.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
My studio day begins at 10 AM. I start by turning on some music and sitting with a cup of coffee in front of the paintings for a moment to review what I worked on the day before. If I made notes, I check them to see if they still make sense for proceeding on certain paintings. This moment of reflection helps me center my thoughts and plan the day’s work. Once I’ve figured out what I need to do for the day I lay out my paints and get going. As I paint, depending on if I’m in a groove or not, I’ll rotate between pieces that are in different stages of drying and that share a similar color palette. If all the paintings are too wet for the next layer, I’ll start something new. My favorite thing to do is to start a new painting. I love painting the underpainting and the first few layers. I have a new large glass palette that has been fabulous for allowing me to work in two different color palettes, especially when working on large paintings that require extensive paint layouts. Midday, I take a break for lunch and look for inspiration in art books or watch videos of famous artists painting. It's fascinating to see their techniques, how they lay out their paints, and what brushes and materials they use. Sometimes, I'll watch a sitcom to clear my mind before getting back to work. After lunch I will take some time to go through my source photos, deciding on new projects, sizes, and color palettes. Lately, I've been using grayscale photos or notans to experiment more freely with color. In the afternoon when I get back into painting I like to listen to podcasts or audiobooks, depending on my mood. I need to hear some background voices while I paint. I usually wrap up around 4:30-5 PM. Before leaving, I take photos of my progress and make notes on the colors used, ideas for moving forward, and areas for improvement. This helps prepare me for the next painting session. Admin work is reserved for once a week and sometimes the weekend in my office at home.
How has your art practice grown or changed?
My art practice has steadily grown over the years. When I became a full-time artist in 2001, I committed to showing up every day with regular studio hours. I set goals for my work and career and take steps to achieve them.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
Traveling has had the most impact on my life and work as an artist. Not only visiting new locations and exploring for inspiration but also learning about art and artists by visiting art museums and galleries. In February 2024 I decided I must see the Rothko exhibition in Paris was a dream come true. Rothko’s color sensibility and style resonate with me, and I had a deep desire to see his oeuvre in one place. This also allowed me to see more museum shows and exhibitions in two great art cities Paris and London. Attending artist residencies in far off destinations has been an important part of my artistic growth. It allows for dedicated time outside of my normal studio practice. It’s also requires me to get clear on what I want to work on when writing proposals. Preparing for exhibitions has also impacted my work it’s required me to focus on creating paintings in series and develop habits to get the work done on a deadline. what I think and feel when I’m painting. I’m still learning how to curate my work to pick the best
How has social media impacted your work?
One-way social media has been impactful on my work is that I’m able to find opportunities for shows and residencies by following certain hashtags. It’s a way of getting reminded of what’s happening. I like to see when friends and colleagues are having exhibitions and what’s happening in the artworld in general.
Which artists/art movements inspire you the most?
There are so many artists that I find inspirational. I’m always interested in the way artists respond to nature especially the way they use color, light and atmosphere some of my favorites are Wolf Kahn, Richard Mayhew, Jane Wilson. I’m inspired by many artists throughout tonalism and impressionism.
IG: @victoria_vedeel
Website: https://veedell.com