Captivated by the landscape, Craig paints out of doors whenever she can and often completes larger canvases in the studio. Craig travels extensively, painting in Ireland, France and throughout the United States.
Valerie Craig has drawn and painted nearly all of her life. Known for her impressionist approach to color and light, Craig uses oil and watercolors to capture her subjects, including urban and rural landscapes, still-life, and sometimes figures in the landscape. Like most artists, Craig continues to be a student of art, always reaching for a higher level of excellence, while discovering and expressing her own voice.
In 1998, Craig left her career in nursing administration to pursue her passion for painting on a full-time basis. She feels that her best expressions happen when she is on location where she can directly sense the mood and atmosphere of a particular scene. Whether painting vast open areas or intimate spaces, capturing the nuances of light and color is best accomplished through close observation and careful study.
Captivated by the landscape, Craig paints out of doors whenever she can and often completes larger canvases in the studio. Craig travels extensively, painting in Ireland, France and throughout the United States. She teaches workshops and seeks inspiration and opportunities to paint in the field. She values her teaching and administrative experiences as having increased her perspective as an educator and artist.
Craig has been invited to be the juror for Plein Air competitions and professional arts' organizations.
Honors include: Best of Show, American Impressionist Society National Small Works Show 2021; Award of Excellence, National Oil and Acrylic Best of America 2021; Judge's Award, Olmsted Plein Air 2020; Second Place, National Plein Air Salon; Artists Choice, Ireland's Art in the Open 2017; Gold/Mayor's Choice Award Ireland's 2013 Art in the Open; Grand Prize American Women Online Juried Competition; Best in Show, Wayne Plein Air 2011; Second Place, Plein Air Easton 2011, Artists' Choice Award, Plein Air Easton 2010.
Valerie lives in Villanova, Pennsylvania with her husband Peter and their dog.