Living in the heart of the Finger Lakes is what has set the stage for Valentina to want to capture the beauty of the area through oil painting. After High School she took drawing and painting classes at a local College. Longing to learn more took her to Pat Rini Rohrer in Canandaigua NY where she studied for many years. Recently Valentina studied with Cammy Salaz at Main Street Atelier in Tarrytown NY.\ She is inspired by Richard Schmidt and his use of the monochrome underpainting. When he completed a monochrome by adding color over it the underpainting makes it so much more vibrant.\ Valentina paints because she is inspired by nature people shapes and colors but it the feeling she gets from it that she wants to create. Her birthday is on Valentine’s Day so she has a special connection to hearts. When she completes a painting and feels content that it was done with her heart she hides a heart in the painting.