Vanise started painting about eight years ago upon hearing a radio broadcast predicting the end of the world by a certain date. Believing that we would all soon perish, she prayed for God to reveal the purpose of her life. According to Vanise, she received the clear response that her purpose was to paint, "like there was no tomorrow." She painted day and night until the prophecy was proven to be false and the date of reckoning was past.

She now works at a more reasonable pace, and has become well known for her self-proclaimed freedom to experiment, her whimsical subject matter and her broad range of self-invented styles and techniques.

Vanise believes that "all colors are good" and "there is no such thing as a color combination that doesn't work." She also has a wonderful sense of humor that is often evident in the titles of her mixed-media creations.

Born and raised in Philadelphia and formerly homeless, Vanise was guided to a low cost housing facility of Project H.O.M.E. and now lives in a shared apartment in the Germantown area.

Vanise designed the 40 foot mural which now appears on the side of Project H.O.M.E.’s main headquarters at 1515 Fairmount Avenue which has since been featured twice in Philadelphia's mural arts calendar. Her work has also appeared in several other books and publications, and at least 35 of Coalition Ingenu’s exhibits.

1. We Are Family

2. Spin Decision

3. Rooster and Red

4. Girl, Did you Hear?

5. Head Games