About the Artist
Virginia Unseld
Virginia Unseld has been painting the western landscape for over 40 years. Her work is about the act of joyous mark-making as much as about the subject she is painting. Virginia is both a plein air painter and studio painter. She moved to the small town of Eckert, Colorado in 2022 and owns yellow house art studio & gallery at 21848 North Rd, open occasionally and by appointment. 720. 297. 7034.
Virginia has exhibited extensively and has won many awards. She is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of Colorado and a member of American Women Artists, the Plein Air Artists of Colorado, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, New Mexico Pastel Society, and Pastel Society of America.
Recent Select Awards and Publications
2026 2nd Place North Fork Plein Air Festival
2025 Best of Show Plein Air Painters of New Mexico national juried show
2025 Merit Award Plein Air Artists of Colorado national juried show
2025 2nd Place Delta Fine Arts member Show
2020 Best of Show and Purchase Award Central City Plein Air
2020 Honorable Mention Pastel Society of Colorado Signature Members' Show
2020 Best Quickdraw Georgetown Plein Air
2019 Best Quickdraw Central City Plein Air
2019 Best Opera House Painting Central City Plein Air
2019 Best Quickdraw Fairplay Plein Air
2019 3rd Place Gilpin Arts Association open juried show
2018 Best of Show Greeley National Art Exhibit
2018 Best Cityscape Boulder Plein Air Festival
2018 3rd Place Central City Plein Air Festival
2018 PAAC Board Award Plein Air Artists of Colorado
2017 Best of Show Greeley National Art Exhibit
2017 Honorable Mention Plein Air Artists of New Mexico
2017 1st Place Pastel Society of Colorado Members’ Show
2017 1st Place 2D Gilpin Arts Association and PSC Best Pastel Award
2017 Guerilla Painter Award Mile High National Pastel Show
2016 1st Place Quickdraw Plein Air Aspen
2016 1st Place Pastels Greeley National Art Exhibit
2016 Pastel Society of Colorado Award Gilpin Arts Association open show
2016 3rd Place Pastel Society of CO Members’ Show
2015 3rd Place Quick Draw Plein Air Rockies
2015 2nd Place Pastel Society of Colorado Members’ Show
2015 3rd Place Colorado Plein Air, Denver, CO
2015 1st Place Pastels Greeley National Art Exhibit
2015 2nd Place Small Works Show, Mountainside Art Guild
2014 1st Place Plein Air Rockies Quickdraw
2014 3rd Place Colorado Plein Air
2014 3rd Place Gilpin Arts Association open show (8 states)
2013 Southwest Art Magazine featured in Snow Portfolio
2013 Best of Show Colorful Colorado
2013 1st Place Pastel Society of Colorado Members' Show
2013 2nd Place Gilpin Arts Association open show (8 western states)
2012 3rd Place: Pastel Society of Colorado Members' Show
2012 2nd Place and Honorable Mention Gilpin Arts Association Open
2010 Southwest Art Magazine Award for Excellence: Denver Plein Air
2010 Best of Show: Evergreen Pastel Open
2010 Best of Show: Gilpin Artists Association open show
2009 Cover art selected for Serenity Magazine
2009 Cover art selected for Mountain Pages Magazine
2009 3rd Place: Colorado Pastel Society Annual Members Show
2008 Best of Show: Evergreen Artists' Association Members' Show
2008 1st Place: Evergreen Plein Air Exhibit
Judge or Juror
I was honored to be selected to be juror and/or judge for the following organizations:
Edge of the Cedars 50th annual exhibit
Aurora Arts Guild: Gateway to the Rockies
Boulder Arts Association
Georgetown Plein Air
Western Spirit National Art Show
Colorado Watercolor Society
Center for the Arts Evergreen
Colorado Scholastics Competition
Evergreen Artists Association
Black Canyon Artists Association
Gilpin County Arts Association
Education
1990-93 M.A.E. Rhode Island School of Design
1971-75 B.S. Art Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
