Watercolor artist Victoria Whorley

Watercolor painter Victoria Whorley was the featured artist for June 2010 at Cow Art and More. Victoria enjoys painting beef and dairy cattle as a way to capture the beauty of her home area of southern Virginia. She mostly paints from pictures she takes on her travels around the rural countryside. Victoria's painting Heads or Tails was also featured on the April 15, 2010, issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Why do you paint?

Painting fulfills the creative side of me. The feeling of accomplishment when an animal is accurately portrayed is a great motivator.

How did you get started?

My dad bought me art sets and pastels when I was really small. We used to watch art instruction television shows together in the 60s, and he would explain the techniques as we watched.

What is your technique?

I am a realistic watercolor artist. Each painting is layered from the lightest of colors, working toward darker layers.

Where did you learn your technique?

I learned my technique from a very knowledgeable teacher and from art instruction books.

Where do you get your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from the life and animals around me. I love driving the back roads of Virginia looking for that inspiration.

How long, on average, does it take you to get a finished painting?

Time spent on a painting is based on the size of the painting as well as the amount of detail involved. Several hours are spent on what would seem the simplest of paintings.

How do you decide what to paint?

I look through my multitude of photographs. Several photos will 'jump' out at me and I choose one to paint from those photos.

How did you get interested in creating art of farm animals?

Having grown up with dogs, cats, chickens, ponies, goats, a cow and ducks, I have always loved all types of animals . . . as an artist, painting them just seems the natural thing to do.

Do you ever have goof-ups or work you don't like?

Goof-ups are a normal part of painting. Some can be fixed easily; some not so easily. Other paintings just aren't liked for any of several reasons; usually because I feel I didn't portray enough detail.

What else do you do besides your art?

I love to drive back roads taking lots of photographs; am also a scrapbooker and a collector of rocks and gemstones, colored glass bottles, and antiques.

What would you like to do more of in the future?

Paint more animals and birds.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Paint what you love and don't be afraid to try new techniques.