Elmhurst muralist Virginia Salas’ motto is “Artistic visions for your home or business.” Her vision is clear.
“When I see a place, I see it finished.” Salas says, adding “Then I just work back in my mind, to the beginning.”
The Argentine native, who has lived here for 22 years, made a career of nurturing the artist in kids - as a kindergarten and pre-K teacher. It was said that “Everyone knows which classroom belongs to Virginia, because of the decorations and paintings on the wall.”
Parents and co-workers, who admired her “very fresh, very bright” sense of color and attention to detail, started asking her to apply her talents to their homes and businesses. After a combined 32 years in teaching, Salas took her business full-time in February.
Though her favorite projects are still children’s rooms, where bright colors and whimsical creatures reign supreme, Salas’s work has provided holiday accents for business windows, from Kelly’s Grill in Middle Village to the internationally known Red Lion in Greenwich Village.
Salas knows that her murals and faux finishes can’t be moved to the closet if they lose favor. “I always try to do what the client wants,” she says, “The first rule is to make them happy. The second rule is I have to be happy with my own work.”
Happy is a key word here. Salas drew inspiration while watching Bob Ross, the popular artist, famous for painting “happy little trees” on his Public Broadcast Show (PBS). “I knew that if he can do that, so can I.” Salas says. Ross himself was a student of William Alexander, who in addition to teaching art on PBS, was also a muralist.
She has incorporated the “wet-on-wet” technique, first demonstrated by Alexander and made famous by Ross, into her method, enabling her to complete room-sized projects with a minimum of disruption for her clients.
Salas love of art and creativity is shared by her daughters, Alejandra, 19 and Daniela, 17. They created her website, www.Virginiaspaintings.com as a Mothers’ Day present. “They told me, ‘Don’t worry, Ma, don’t worry.’” Salas says, “So far, I haven’t had to.”
Salas can also be reached by phone at 917-576-6949 or 718-760-1207. She gives free estimates, and only asks that you “Let me bring your ideas to life!”
