ARTIST PROFILE: Virginia Spencer

MEDIA: Drawings with mixed media

BEST KNOWN FOR: Nostalgic collage-like drawings filled with anything from flowers to chairs to birds. Many of the items are from Spencer's grandmother's house or things she remembers from childhood. Sometimes they're based on Texas or Spencer's family history.

“They are rooted in my own memories,” Spencer said.

Spencer's drawings recall the whimsy of a child. They're also tangled up and slightly fictionalized narratives of her life. One drawing is titled “Dear Tooth Fairy, Please leave $200. Thank you, Ginny.”

“My mom told me recently that I wrote the tooth fairy when I was younger,” Spencer said.

Some include colorful paper masks from Spencer's childhood, in which the characters' eyes stare at the viewer. One includes a drawing of the sink from her grandmother's bathroom.

Other drawings seem to come out of fantasies and daydreams strewn with cats, ice cream and vintage-like items. They often include pastel or richly colored guasch paint for details and have intricate patterned backgrounds.

“There's that imagination thing that is central to my life,” Spencer said.

The images often look comforting, like collages of grandmother's houses or antiques stores or digging through a family attic. But while the images are intricate and beautiful, they can be eerie, sort of like walking through an old, abandoned house in which the tea kettles, trinkets and photos are left untouched.

“I don't want them to be too pleasant looking,” Spencer said.

CURRENTLY: Spencer's first show is up at Joan Grona Gallery, and so far she's sold six of her 11 drawings. For Spencer, the show has been an encouraging experience.

“A lot of the people who bought them are close family friends,” she said. “At the same time, with most things you create, it's hard to let go.”

BACKGROUND: Spencer received her bachelor's of fine art in textine from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2007. After college, Spencer lived in Washington, D.C., for a year while interning at an art gallery. She then returned to San Antonio, her hometown.

She currently volunteers at the San Antonio State Hospital, where she works with adolescent patients who have mental disabilities. Spencer is helping the patients create an art project titled “My Path to Healing.” “The idea is to have the patients tell their story on paper,” Spencer said.

WEB SITE: www.virginialamarspencer.com

CHECK HER OUT: Spencer's drawings are on display through Sept. 26 at Joan Grona Contemporary Art Gallery, 112 Blue Star. The gallery is open 11 a.m.-

6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and by appointment. For more information, call (210) 225-6334.

Emily Messer | 210SA contributor