UV: What is the most bizarre comment you've ever received about your work?
VV: A couple of years ago the Executive Director for Fundraising at the Oakland Zoo called me out of the blue to tell me one of my pieces ("Coronets and Party Hats") reminded him of "Nazi Art." That painting has 3 "X"'s at the bottom, which to him apparently looked like swastikas. Thanks for sharing! (He isn't at the zoo anymore, either).

UV: What is your definition of bad art?
VV: Bad art to me is when an artist stops short or goes on auto-pilot and keeps churning out the same stuff. Art that lays there and plays dead. Art is about pushing yourself in every work. You can't rest on your laurels. Find the authentic voice in each work and don't play it safe. It might not always work, but as the saying goes, "grow or die."

UV: Do you conceptualize a piece beforehand or give rein to spontaneity?
VV: I don't conceptualize anything really -- a painting is the residue of a particular state of mind. The intellectualizing and art school vocabulary dissection comes later, if at all. I've spent a long time purging all the "art words" out of my vocabulary. I work in a large format, 44"x 66" for the most part. I usually work 3-4 canvases at once, and some pieces take 8 months or more to complete, due to the drying time of the oil paint. I do constantly see colors in my mind when I'm out and about--there is a pinkie-orange color that haunts me that I can never quite capture. There is weird yellowy mustard green I can never get quite right, too. (sigh)

UV: How should a viewer approach your work?
VV: Viewers should not be afraid of their own reactions or opinions. Ask artists questions about the work and processes involved. Because so many people went through elementary and high school with no exposure to art, they are intimidated at the thought of offending an artist by making a comment. Believe me, artists have heard it all! Expose yourself to a lot of different types of art and you will start to discern what resonates with you and what doesn't. There is plenty of stuff I bypass when I visit a gallery or museum -- it's okay to just gravitate toward what moves you and not try and understand each and every piece. Also, as an artist, a particular piece I created may have a particular meaning to me, but that doesn't mean it has to speak to the viewer in the same way. Viewers need to trust their own instincts and reactions when looking at art.