Collaborations with Vanessa Compton
I first saw Vanessa's art in Vermont while visiting a mutual friend, who suggested we view her exhibit at a regional art center. I was instantly mesmerized by her exciting blend of collage, mixed media, and painting. For me the images revealed a powerful emotional connection with nature, the spirit, and our human condition. I was fortunate to meet her and we decided to try working together. Since then our collaboration has evolved with regular working sessions, and exhibits featuring our collaborative works.
Lost City ©2018, 28 x 28 pencil, watercolor and acrylic on paper on a wood panel. New Mexico. sold prints
Velvet D’Arrest ©2025, 20 x 30 x 2 paper collage on a pigment ink jet print on canvas from a gouache painting. This work was created in part for Vermont Vice: Sex, Drugs, Money, and Murder, an exhibit now on view at the Bennington Museum. “While Vermont is often imagined as an idyllic rural paradise, largely free from the darker elements of humanity, anyone who lives here or knows its history understands this isn’t true. The state has long shared the darker issues found anywhere humans settle—from counterfeiters, rum runners, and drug dealers to girlie shows, illicit gambling, and even murder.” About this piece, Vanessa writes: “I wanted to marry his exquisite use of color and movement with collaged moments inspired by the exhibition statement, so that it feels rooted in Vermont’s pastoral landscape yet charged with a contemporary energy that reflects what it feels like to be alive right now.” Available at Krinshaw Studios.
THE PAST ©2023, 30 x24 paper collage on a pigment ink jet print on canvas from a gouache painting, $1800. This work began with a large gouache. For us, the wide open vistas of the American West invite reflection and symbolize the passage of time, of eons bygone. In Vanessa’s narrative in cut paper collage, this work celebrates the transition from the past into a new beginning, with new possibilities. Her use of the black and white ‘ritual’ images of Diane Arbus enhances the contrast of the timeless and transitory in this work. “I’m particularly drawn to how she would document the celebrations of folks on the fringes of society- for instance a birthday party at an asylum. After all, everyone has the right to celebrate” The hands cradle peyote, a symbol of the magic in transformation, the hidden sacred power in this magical existence. Available at Krinshaw Studios.
Brothers In Arms / Big Sky Country ©2018, 11 x 30 diptych watercolor and collage on Rives paper.
Tie-Dye Love ©2018, 25 x 22 watercolor and paper collage on vintage Arches paper.
Shalako Beholds The Multiverse ©2022, 18 x 12 watercolor and paper collage on Rives paper. Available through Western Gallery.