Vanessa Villarreal’s roots were drawing her toward art, and she didn’t know it. A pre-med student turned artist who works in textiles, denim, acrylic, and quilting, she recognized her calling after she moved to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2020. Two things hung in the back of her mind. Vanessa’s paternal Panamanian grandparents were sewists, and when they visited, they were constantly sewing. “I grew up around the sewing machine,” Vanessa said. And there was something special about a middle school fiber art class—where she learned basic machine sewing skills, cross stitch, and crocheting—that really stuck with her. “I was a sponge when it came to art,” she said.
Growing up in Central Florida, she didn’t see art communities nor Black artists, and as a pre-med student, nurturing her creativity wasn’t her main priority. However, in D.C., she immersed herself in the art community for the first time and saw Black artists taking their art seriously. By early 2022, she made the courageous decision to discontinue her graduate studies and quit her full-time job to pursue art. “My parents laid a strong foundation that gave me the confidence to make this decision,” Vanessa said. “I took a leap of faith and relied on God.” Reactions from friends and family were mixed. Her parents worried that an art career wouldn’t be sustainable. Friends, on the other hand, affirmed Vanessa’s decision, noting her entrepreneurial spirit.
After quitting school and her job, Vanessa had the opportunity to quiet the noise in her life and listen to her intuition and faith. Back in college, she had started a side hobby business, Lion’s Den Creative (LDC), where she upcycled vintage denim.
With a few items still in her inventory, she sold what was left at the Georgetown Flea Market. She immediately realized that she really could support herself with her art and took LDC full-time shortly after that.
“In an effort to create art that better reflected my voice, I developed a studio practice,” Vanessa said, adding that she explored painting, sewing, drawing, and crocheting. “I was interested in finding a way to combine these mediums. I started experimenting with painted portraits and the idea of capturing and sharing my own stories.” Many of her subjects were inspired by photos she took of everyday moments in her community. “I wanted to highlight the beauty of Black D.C. residents. D.C. Black culture is very vibrant but often overlooked. The people born and raised here, especially Black D.C. residents, have laid the cultural foundation of D.C. but don’t receive credit for it,” Vanessa said.
In late 2023, she created a portrait of her mom. In lieu of paint, Vanessa decided to glue scraps of denim to the canvas. It added more texture, and her denim mosaics style was born. Now denim is used in almost all of her work.
During a month-long studio residency, she made her first quilt. “I watched many quiltmaking videos and was enamored with it. However, I feared I wouldn’t be good at it. But I proved to myself that you never know until you try,” Vanessa said. Ever since then, quilts have been incorporated as the backgrounds of her art pieces.
Sustainability has always been core to Vanessa’s art practice, “before I even had an art practice,” she joked. “I’ve always been resourceful and very frugal. It’s been a way of life for me.” Finding items in thrift stores and breathing new life into secondhand items or remnants is how Vanessa expands her artistic talents and adds more meaning to her pieces. In the future, she hopes to reach a point where she can sustain herself by creating the art she feels compelled to make. “I want to create work that stretches and challenges me,” she said. “I also want to show up for my community beyond the canvas.”
A big part of what drew Vanessa to quilting, denim, and textiles was the opportunity to learn about her ethnic and cultural community. “Quilting specifically played an integral role in African American art. Quilting is a way for me to honor the people before me,” Vanessa said, “to connect to my roots, and learn more about myself.” Her personal prescription for creativity and following her passion is serving her well.
Diane L. Murtha is an award-winning quilter, fiber artist, author, and international lecturer and instructor. Quilting for over 30 years, she gravitated to art quilts and discovered she loves challenges. Her quilts and articles are included in books, 30 + magazines, and multiple juried exhibits and international shows. Diane published her first book, Artful Insights in Fiber: Quilted Bits of Wit & Wisdom in March 2023. She currently resides in Iowa. Learn more at www.dianeLmurtha.com, or follow her on Instagram @dianelmurtha.
