Artist Statement

I make paintings about the stories we tell ourselves and the moments that shape the way we see the world.

Sometimes those stories begin with a song lyric. Sometimes they begin with a memory, a conversation, a landscape, or a quiet observation that refuses to let go. My work explores music, memory, connection, addiction, beauty, and the small experiences that often pass unnoticed.

Whether I’m painting a portrait built from lyrics, an abstract exploration of emotion, or a simple flower blooming in the yard, I’m interested in the same question: What happens when we slow down long enough to really pay attention? What will we see? What will we think? What will we make?

Through painting, writing, and my monthly print club, A Subtle Reframe, I invite viewers to look beyond the surface of things and discover meaning in the everyday.

Artist Biography

Phil Vance is a California artist whose work explores music, memory, human connection, and the stories that shape our lives.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from U.C. Davis, where he studied drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout California and featured internationally through publications including My Modern Met, Laughing Squid, Oddity Central, and Right This Minute.

Phil is perhaps best known for his word portraits, intricate paintings constructed from song lyrics, quotes, and handwritten text. In recent years his work has expanded into narrative paintings, abstractions, and personal reflections exploring attention, meaning, and the creative process.

He lives and works in California, where he continues to create new artwork, write the Studio Journal, and publish A Subtle Reframe.

Curriculum Vitae

Solo Exhibitions

2017 - Ventana Gallery “In Their Own Words” Sonora, CA. USA

Group Exhibitions

2016 - Mistlin Gallery “Autumn Art Show” Modesto, CA. USA
2016 - Carnegie Arts Center “Central California Art Showcase” Turlock, CA. USA
2012 - Sonora Opera Hall “MMLA 59th Anniversary Juried Fine Art Show” Sonora, CA. USA
2012 - Stage 3 Theater Company “Superior Donuts Art Exhibition” Sonora, CA. USA

Interviews

“Artist Uses Words to Paint” Right This Minute - April 3rd, 2018
http://www.rightthisminute.com/video/rtmtv-artist-uses-words-paint

Publications

“Artist Spends Hundreds of Hours Creating Portraits Entirely Out of Hand-Written Text” My Modern Met - March 26th, 2018
https://mymodernmet.com/typography-portraits-phil-vance

“Phil Vance Works Hours on Each of His Typography Portraits Made From Hand Written Text” The Awesome Daily - March 28th, 2018
https://theawesomedaily.com/phil-vance-works-hours-on-each-of-his-typography-portraits-made-from-hand-written-text/

“Incredibly Detailed Portraits That Use the Words of the Subjects to Recreate Their Likenesses” Laughing Squid - March 28th, 2018
https://laughingsquid.com/portraits-made-from-words/

“Artist Creates Detailed Portraits Entirely Out of Handwritten Text” Oddity Central - March 30th, 2018
https://www.odditycentral.com/art/artist-creates-detailed-portraits-entirely-out-of-handwritten-text.html

“Portraits Made Up Entirely of Words” Meero October 10, 2018
https://www.meero.com/en/news/photography/148/Portraits_Made_Up_Entirely_Of_Words

“Artist makes impressive portraits entirely out of handwritten words” The Daily Net - September 14th, 2018
https://thedailynet.com/read/bizarre/artist-portraits-handwritten-words

Awards

Award of Distinction - “Mark Twain in His Own Words” - Carnegie Arts Center - 2016
Second Place - “Abstract City in Orange and Blue” - Motherlode Arts Association - 2012

Education

U.C. Davis — BA Studio Art — Graduated 2003