I love to paint. It is almost
an
obsession. I work from subject matter enjoying the hand/eye dynamic.
Good
drawing is important to me although I work abstractly as well,
sometimes
combining the two. I am interested in composing as well as working with
minimal
colors to push the variety they can produce. For me, the subject matter
or
message is secondary to what the painting looks like. It is the visual
experience
that interests me the most.
Virginia Cantarella
Spent two and one half years as an art major, science minor at
Connecticut College For Women. Class Officer.
Spent six months in Italy: Florence, Genoa, Venice, Rome, and Siena -
studying art history, and painting in water colors and oils.
Spent four years as a painting major at the Boston Museum School,
auditing courses at MIT, Harvard and Brandies. Learned Fresco
Technique. Graduated with honors.
The 60s
Married and had two children.
One person show: Montclair State Teachers College.
One person show: Greenwich Art Library, Conn.
Co-Chaired fund drive for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, putting on a
major exhibit of contemporary artists in the Brooklyn Museum including
Larry Rivers, Bertoia, Gorgy Kepes, Elaine de Kooning,.
Started medial illustrating for Columbia University and Albert Einstein
College of Medicine.
Family spent two years in Paris. Researched television production "Is
Paris Passé?", interviewing museum curators, gallery owners and
artists.
Back in Brooklyn: bought 500 pounds of marble dust and developed
modified fresco technique using acrylics. Painted in Abstract
Expressionist manner.
Joined Gallery 84. Had three one person shows and was in several group
shows.
The 70s
Illustrated the first two of three volumes of Microsurgery of the Eye,
by Dr. Richard Troutman, introducing microsurgery in ophthalmology to
the United States.
Served as governor of the Brooklyn Museum and Trustee of the Brooklyn
Institute of Arts and Sciences for five years. In charge of the Museum
School, served on Acquisitions Committee, Finance Committee, Personnel
Committee.
Paintings represented by four agents in New York City.
Three one person shows at the Brownstone Gallery in Brooklyn.
Joined the Bellanthi Gallery. Had two one person shows and in many
group shows.
Won painting prize: Silevermine, Connecticut. Won first prize painting,
Cooperstown, NY annual exhibit.
Divorced. Expanded medical illustration to full time free lance
business. One of the first to work entirely free lance in this
field. Specialized in illustrating ophthalmic surgery for
medical text books, slides for lectures and exhibitions. Assisted
teaching courses in microsurgery of the eye at Downstate Medical Center
and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Joined the Association of Medical Illustrators and the Graphic Artists
Guild.
The
80s
Bought a house in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY and South Westerlo, NY. Set
up studios in both houses. Married Herman Shonbrun
Text book illustration branched into ophthalmic plastic surgery,
retinal surgery, strabismus surgery, aesthetic and reconstructive
surgery; and cutaneous surgery.
Adjunct Associate professor L.I.U. for four years, teaching the
course: Introduction to Medical Illustration.
One person show of paintings , LIU.
One person show of drawings, "Ordinary Objects", Renssalaerville
Institute of Arts and Sciences.
Private Retrospective Exhibition: Salisbury Manor, Leeds, NY, given by
Dr. and Mrs. Hugh Butts.
The 90s
Moved full time to South Westerlo. Built medical art studio in the
house and painting and drawing studio in the barn. Completed
Troutman's third volume on "Corneal Astigmatism". Completed
revision of Byron Smith Text ; "Ophthalmic and Reconstructive
Surgery". (Texts require from 100 to 1500 illustrations taking from one
to four years to complete, consulting with doctors from New York, Los
Angeles, Minnesota, Detroit and Miami). Retired in 1997 from Medical
illustrating and now devoting full time to fine art.
Completed paintings called "The Blue Pitcher" series.
Completed a series of wash drawings called "Interiors".
One of fifteen chosen artists, out of 200 applicants, selected for the
MS Society's exhibit, "The Creative Will" which opened at NYU's Grey
Gallery and then toured the United states for two years. One drawing
was featured by the Society at a fund raising fashion show in Los
Angeles, California.
One person show at ArtSpace in Hudson, 33 paintings from series of
Ordinary Objects.
Currently working on the series paintings continuing the series of
"Ordinary Objects" and another series called "Still Lives with fruit
and Other Things".
Finished an anatomy text called "An Illustrated Anatomy, Bones and
Muscles" which is self published as an E-book. http:///www.wolfflypress.com.
Teaching the disabled drawing and painting at Sunnyview Hospital,
Schenectady, NY.
2000 -
2008
One person exhibitions at : The Rensselaerville Institute, the
Greenville Library, and The Greene County Community College.
Ehhibied in the juried show at Sunnyview Hospital in Schenectady,
and served on the jury for the '07 exhibition.
Took on three private students in painting.
Acted as consultant on medical illustration for a Sam Mendes Film in
which I provided art and created art.
Illustrated "The Phonetic Alphabet", a book for young children on how
to pronounce all thee letters and clusters of letters.
Cantarella
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