Vessna Scheff

“Art is a space of freedom. It allows us to be as big, loud and powerful as we want to be - to dream beyond our reality. Merging watercolor palettes with performance, movement and sound, these works are created to hold the transcendent moments of liberation, celebration & love.”

Work WIth Vessna Scheff

Everyday Creative People Podcast // An Interview with Dena Adriance

“This week I caught up with Vessna Scheff, an emotive, abstract painter and musician living in Philadelphia. Vessna has the attitude of a perpetual student, and has jumped into her creative pursuits more than once with little to no formal training!
In this episode, Vessna shares her incredible journey to becoming a working artist, and the attitudes, approaches, and beautiful moments of magic that got her there...”
— Dena Adriance, Everyday Creative People Podcast

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Upcoming Events:

Featured Paintings

“When You Feel Safe To Be You” l Mixed media on paper l 22x30”

Dive In to the Details

“WAVZ #1” l Mixed media on paper l 22x30”

Dive In to the Details

“The Closeness of Color #2” l Mixed media on paper l 22x30”

Dive Into the Details

CURRENT COLLECTION:

let's talk only of elephants

the unspoken forces at play
the thoughts behind the actions
+ the meanings behind the marks..

This collection reveals the thoughts behind each mark, the unspoken forces at play that impact how we carry ourselves and move throughout the world. Revealing the “elephant in the room,” they are pages to my watercolor journal.

LET’S TALK ONLY OF ELEPHANTS

Shop The Collection

Follow along : @vessnascheff

Had such an amazing week celebrating love and friendship in SF ♥️ Thanks friends for making me feel at home all the way across the US. Love you and excited I got to spend this past week with you 🤸🏾‍♂️✨♥️ Super stoked my friend @brooketheberry was on vacation all week too and we got to explore the city together just like when we were roomies. Love you Brooke! ♥️♥️

Thank you for being your full self. All the feels and all. Thank you for bringing your whole self to the conversation each time we talk and not hiding your true feelings, even when (especially when) they are hard to share. This is how we grow ♥️
//
Sharing my full feelings, no matter how nuanced and hard they can be to describe, has been a long process (and is a continual practice). When I was younger, I thought being shy was “cute” or that appeasing others meant I was a good person. I’ve since learned that speaking my mind is much better for me and others. Even when it’s hard, it feels so much better and let’s the future be shaped by my input. // This is as much a thank you note to myself as it is to friends, family and others who share their full scope of feelings with me. Thank you for sharing who you are ♥️

I don’t think of myself as particularly fashionable. In my mind I often feel frumpy, attempting at style and mostly practical in my clothing choice. I do like to remember that my clothes don’t define me (no matter how much they shape, shift or attempt to “define” my body). It’s more about how I wear it than what I’m wearing.
BUT I do love when I come across comfortable clothes that I feel confident in, are breathable and dry quickly so I can wear them straight out the wash, move around in them or get soaking wet and it’s no big deal, and that can slide between casual and formal, so I can throw on anything I own and be ready for any occasion, are less than $30 and last multiple years. It’s a special moment when this happens haha. It’s a process finding of clothes that meet all these qualifications and regardless, not letting my clothing limit how I feel in it ✨
//
On this jean expedition (my last and only pair was about to rip in at least 4 places) I learned that going to a jean shop first with all the sizes and different styles organized to learn my size and fit preferences was really helpful. Along with moral support from my friend @brooketheberry ♥️ = key. After that, I went through the sales rack and thrift stores looking for my size/ fit preferences. The jeans pictured here were $25 and in a style I wouldn’t think to try but since they were $25, why not 🤷🏽‍♀️ and I love em! ♥️♥️

As a performer and a visual artist, I often transition between modes. One usually involves a stage and being granted attention from the audience. When ur on a stage and with a microphone, people are more likely to at least give your voice a chance to be heard. With visual arts, you are given attention especially when your art is framed and mounted, presented in a way that almost builds a “stage” for art. I find it’s the same with teaching. It is just you in the classroom directing the flow of conversation and setting the tone. These three “stages” that are granted to me carry great responsibility. It’s more than something I rehearse for or lesson plan for on occasion. How I understand myself and the world comes out through each of these “stages.” It’s not about practicing for just the big shows or prepping for one lesson, it’s about practicing and preparing in the moments off “stage,” in the face of microaggressions, sexism, racism, heteronormativity, classism and privilege, so that I may be the best performer, artist, musician and educator I can be in any moment. I am always practicing, sketching and lesson planning through simply how I engage in my life. The things I do (painting, performing and teaching) are not separate from who I am, they are simply the moments in which the way I am practicing life is being shared. //
A few questions I ask myself is his practice are: What do you do with the stage you are given? What do you do with the attention you are given? What do you do with the privileges you are given?

Stretch like there’s nobody watching 🤸🏾‍♂️✨ (or like ur trying to cover up people starring at plants for a long time in the background of your plant photoshoot.. 😉) 📷 @brooketheberry 🦋♥️

At an artist panel @tallerpr with @rinabanerjeestudio, she mentioned “Color is a celebration of life.” She talked about how color communicates different messages in different cultures. To use bright, bold colors in certain spaces is to celebrate the energy of life. This energy can be depicted as white or heavenly in other cultures. This is the piece I made live during the symposium inspired by this moment ✨ If you have a chance to see @rinabanerjeestudio’s exhibition “Make Me A Summary Of The Wolrd”, enjoy. Her words and works are amazing ♥️

Pup Parent twinning with June Pup (swipe to see) 🙌🏽✨ So in love with @ricky_strickler and June Pup! ♥️♥️♥️ This summer has been focused on spending time with people I love, off screen work and travel which has been wonderful.
I am now planning a self directed 3 day Artist Residency via train across the US on my way back to my loves from SF this summer, which I’m excited to share more about! (Who knew train tickets are $250 for a cross country trip and gift you 3.5 days of inspiring landscape and travel to create?!?!!? 🙌🏽✨🦋(the answer to this is probably lots of people haha, I’m just now getting all aboard ;) *cue train whistle* Whoot whoot!

Work With Vessna Scheff