Featured Artist: Virginia Cantarella

Artist’s Statement:  Virginia Cantarella resides in South Westerlo, NY. She attended Connecticut College for Women. Not happy with the her education there she left after two and a half years to spend five months in Italy, first in Florence and then with a family living near Genoa. On returning she attended the Boston Museum School graduating with honors. Her working life was spent as a medical illustrator, working for some of the nation’s most prominent doctors, illustrating 20 major medical texts. Upon retirement Cantarella began painting. In the years since she has painted steadily, working mainly in acrylics and more recently in water soluble oils – landscapes, still life, portraits of her family and friends, and abstractly as well. She accepts commissions.

In 1975 she was diagnosed with Multiple Schlerosis. It changed her life considerably. Painting became a way to find a way of living with this illness. She paints or draws almost every day. It is a passion. She made the decision to paint exactly what she wanted, not worrying about consistency. She paints simply for the love of painting. Period.

She often shows locally, and finds her work finding its way to the homes of family, friends and acquaintances. Previously she was a Governor of the Brooklyn Museum. In addition she taught Introduction to Medical Illustration at Long Island University.

Visit Virginia Cantarella’s website >>