Virginia Wieringa Artist's Statement
I love to paint loose realistic landscapes and still life of things which delight me visually. I’ve also recently been working in mixed media layering watercolor and ink. I apply it with brushes and also spray it using a mouth atomizer over stencils. I add details with acrylic paint, oil pastel and colored pencil. This work has an abstract focus of imagery with faint storylines and open meanings. (That means that some things are recognizable but the interpretation is up to the viewer.) I use symbols that, to me, seem to be related to the universal experiences of the human condition and spiritual growth. I love to hear from people about what they see in my work. I have work at the Fire and Water Art Showroom at 219 West Main in Lowell, Michigan and at the Eyekons Gallery in downtown Grand Rapids at 210 East Fulton, in Grand Rapids , Michigan.
I studied visual art and education in college and enjoyed a long career in teaching. I taught art to students in the Grand Rapids Public Schools and also at Grand Rapids Community College . During those years, my own skills developed in painting, drawing, and experimenting with media. Since I retired from teaching I feel blessed that I’ve been able to devote more time to this creative, contemplative journey and develop my own artistic voice. The art process is meditative for me. My work is a visual response to faith, the mysteries of life and the world God created.