Vanessa Bell (1879-1961) was trained academically, but chose to work against academic teachings. Her anti conservative social nature is shown in her work through her love of still life, non local color, and emphasis on design she was able to make her own path in art with the group. Vanessa worked as an artist and a craftsman with paintings and decorating various furniture. Her effort over all is astonishing, for women at the time their personal goals were set a side once marriage and children entered the frame. Bell however never stopped and children only gave her new inspiration for drawings. Bell has even defined her basic process “Prepare a cavas with a red ground. Sketch in the drawing in any neutral colour, then paint quite directly and leave it.’ Too many layers or too much re-working and picture was liable to lose its freshness,” (Marsh 10-11)
And her stance on style and development as an artist “I believe all painting is worth while so long as one honestly expresses one’s own ideas,” (Marsh 11) This show cases her foundational dislike of pure academic tradition and why she needed to find her own path.
Julian asleep 1908
Out Side of Time and Space 