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| Virginia Larrea-LaTourrette was born in Ecuador in 1966. She lived her childhood and adolescence in Ecuadors coastal city of Guayaquil. At the age of 10 years old her parents encouraged her to take art classes with local artists and teachers and thus, began her love for drawing and painting.
She studied Architecture where she earned a Bachelor Degree at the Institute of Technology at Monterrey Mexico and also obtained a Master of Architecture Degree at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. While in New Mexico she and her husband started a family and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Santa Fe she took an art class with well know artist Betty Carr which sparked her interest in watercolors. Mostly a self taught artist, Virginia explored the watercolor media for several years and her paintings won several awards at the New Mexico Watercolor Society Virginia moved to Tampa, Florida in 1993, where she and her husband currently make their home, she opened a small studio in 2000 and is currently fulfilling her dream of devoting more of her time to painting. With oils paintings she is exploring composition and light while concentrating on still life where she is paying meticulous attention to line, form, detail and color. With pastels she is capturing the Florida outdoors, springs and tropical settings that surround this beautiful location where we live. Virginia still works in watercolor when she feels the media will enhance a particular feature on her painting. Virginia prefers to work from the many sketches she executes. She also has traveled the world, including US, South America and Europe and she will always thank her parents for encouraging the desire of learning through traveling. While in her travels she always sketches and paints small studies for later use in larger works at her studio. For Virginia, drawings is the core of a painting and she encourages all of her students to excel in this area. She teaches art to children and she volunteers her time with several groups around the Tampa Bay area where she teaches plein air in pastel and oils. Virginia is a signature member of the New Mexico Watercolor Society, member of the Oil Painters of America, Southeastern Pastel Society, and the Florida Plein Air Society. Her work has won many awards in New Mexico and Florida and the South East, and her work can be found in several private collections around the world. EDUCATION AND EXHIBITIONS Education Bachelor in Architecture Monterrey, Mexico ITESM Master in Architecture University of New Mexico Watercolor workshop with Betty Carr - 1992 Pastel workshop with Albert Handell 2004, 2006 Mentor Program with Albert Handell - 2007 Education Intern Architect, Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart & Stewart Architects, Tampa Florida (1998-2001) Intern Architect, Steven Robinson Architect, Santa Fe, New Mexico (1993-1994) Exhibitions 2007 - Plein Air Invitational, Paint the Town, St. Petersburg Florida 2006 - Plein Air invitational, Paint the Town, St. Petersburg Florida 2005 - Invitational Exhibit, Great Masters Small Work, St. Petersburg Florida 2005 Solo Exhibit, Great Art and Frame Gallery, Tampa Florida 2005 Paint the Town, Plein Air exhitbition at Alla Prima Fine Art Gallery, St .Petersburg Florida 1998 - Solo Exhibit, Northwest regional Library, Tampa Florida 1996 - Solo Exhibit, Northwest regional Library, Tampa Florida 1995 - Three person show. Galleria Madeleine Hollander, Guayaquil - Ecuador Awards 2007 - Exceptional Merit Award, Southeaster Pastel Society Member Show 2007 - Honorable Mention at the Plein Air Invitational, Paint the Town, St. Petersburg Florida 2007 - Winner of the State of Florida Artist Enhancement Grant 2006 - Honorable Mention at the 2006 International Southeastern Pastel Society show 2006 - First Place at the "Concorso Rapido" Plein Air Event, Dunedin Florida 2005 - H. K. Holbein Merit Award at the Southeastern Pastel Society 2005 Members' Juried Exhibition. (plein air piece) 2005 - Honorable Award Spring Show Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society 2005 - Signature Membership status - New Mexico Watercolor Society 2003 - First Place. Hyde Park Art Center, Tampa Florida. Don Dunlin Watercolor Show. 2003 - Second Place, Pastel, Pencil and Charcoal Dorfmuller competition, Tampa Florida 2002 - Honorable Mention. Hyde Park Art Center , Tampa Florida. Life began in a garden 1997 - Best of Show Award. Hyde Park Art Center, Tampa Florida Don Dunlin Watercolor Show 1997 - Merit Award. Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Full Member Show 1993 - Honorary Mention. New Mexico Watercolor Society Jury Shows Participation 2007 - Southeastern Pastel Society - Member Show 2007 - International Association of Pastel Societies, Naples Florida Show 2006 - Southeastern Pastel Society - 2006 International show (two pieces) 2006 - New Mexico Watercolor Society - Watercolor Show 2006 2005 - Southeastern Pastel Society - 2005 Members show 2005 New Mexico Watercolor Sociery Watercolor Show 2005 2003 - Hyde Park Art Center, Tampa Florida. Don Dunlin Watercolor Show 2003 - Pastel, Pencil and Charcoal Dorfmuller competition, Tampa Florida 2002 - Hyde Park Art Center , Tampa Florida. Life began in a garden. 1998 - Southeastern Pastel Society 1998 - New Mexico Watercolor Society 1997 - Hyde Park Art Center, Tampa Florida Don Dunlin Watercolor show 1997 - Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society full Member Show 1996 - New Mexico Watercolor Society - Watercolor Reflections 1996 - Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Full Member Show. 1995 - Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Aqueous Show 1995 - New Mexico Watercolor Society - Magnifico Spring 95 1994 - New Mexico Watercolor Society - Celebration of Watercolors 94 autumn show. 1993 - New Mexico Watercolor Society - Celebration of Watercolors Spring 93. |
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