We had the good fortune of connecting with Virginia Unseld and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Virginia, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
People often will tell artists they are so talented. In truth, artists are good because they practice a lot and work hard for years.

When did you decide to become an artist?
I began studying art in 4th grade, attending Saturday classes at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Art Museum. It was a fabulous program that taught us dedication and practice. I continued every Saturday until I graduated from high school and then went on to earn an undergraduate degree and Masters degree in Art Education. After teaching art for 30 years, I built a studio and devoted more time and passion to my own art making.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The pandemic was confining in many ways but I used that as an opportunity to focus. I experimented with new media and allowed my personal style to develop as I created about 100 pieces of art in 12 months. I rented a larger studio space at Washington Hall Gallery in Central City and painted on the days the gallery was closed. In February I had a large solo show there called navigations: a year of quARanTine. The images I am submitting are part of the Winter Woods series created with oil and cold wax. I live surrounded by aspens at 9200 feet and this became the subject for two dozen or more paintings. The underlying layer is created with sewing patterns, topo maps and other interesting papers. I overlay oil and cold wax and then expose the strata underneath to create the woods paintings.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary for a day trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc?
I would spend a day in Central City, driving up Oh My Gawd Road through Russell Gulch to get there. We would stop at the top to admire Mt. Evans. We would visit Washington Hall Gallery, attend the Central City Opera, eat at the historic Teller House and listen to music by Jimmy Lewis. If my friend was a plein air painter we would paint anywhere in beautiful Gilpin County . We would fit in a hike in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Then we would watch the sun set over the Continental Divide from my front deck.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Rhode Island School of Design.  I had inspirational and demanding teachers, worked with innovative and supportive graduate students and it changed my life.

Website: virginiaunseldfineart.com

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