Virginia City

Nestled in the steep foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Nevada's capital Carson City, and not far from Reno and the California border, Virginia City was the source of great wealth for the lucky few who capitalized on the gold and silver resources that lay beneath the surface—extracted wealth that helped build the great city of San Francisco, California, and made the names of such as Stanford, Crocker, Huntington, and Sutro, among others.

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Plein-Air Oils: Virginia City

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From the fabled Gold Rush days of the early Wild West, Virginia City's mystique lives on—in the Victorian-style architecture of its homes and the saloons, hotels, resturants and souvenir shops lining "C" Street. Often mentioned in the old Bonanza television series, this rough-and-tumble old mining town is a favorite visiting spot for artists, history buffs and sightseers alike.

Nestled in the steep foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Nevada's capital Carson City, and not far from Reno and the California border, Virginia City was the source of great wealth for the lucky few who capitalized on the gold and silver resources that lay beneath the surface—extracted wealth that helped build the great city of San Francisco, California, and made the names such as Stanford, Crocker, Huntington, and Sutro, to name a few.

At six thousand feet, the high-desert, hilly region is subject to strong winds and changeable weather conditions, with snow storms in October, for example, and cooler weather in summer than the lower desert areas.

Artists benefit from the old Saint Mary's Hospital-turned-Art Center, on a hill below town, where housing is provided for workshop attendees. Virginia City, and the surrounding ghost towns of Gold Hill and Silver City, as well as nearby Carson City, provide ample material for painting scenes of mining ruins and the dramatic natural landscape of abrupt hills, mountains, trees and rivers in the high-desert chaparral.

At six thousand feet, the high-desert, hilly region is subject to strong winds and changeable weather conditions, with snow storms in September and cooler weather in summer than the lower desert areas.