It’s hard to imagine downtown Danville without the train depot museum, Rakestraw Books and the Livery. But long ago the Valley boasted more barns than buildings, and it has been captured in oils by local artist Virginia DeFreitas.
At 86, DeFreitas speaks in a soft, whispery voice and probably doesn’t reach the five-foot mark, but her grace and intellect slice the air deftly.
“I feel lucky to live in such an area of beauty – so many enjoyable landscapes to paint,” she said.
Just as Danville was about to celebrate its 125th birthday, DeFreitas submitted one of her oil paintings in a contest and won the coveted cover on the 1984 phone book. This same rendition of “old Danville” was transferred to a collector’s plate that still hangs in the Museum of the San Ramon Valley. Many of her paintings show vivid details of a time long ago, such as the Southern Pacific Train Depot in Danville that is now the museum.
DeFreitas holds the keys to many unlocked secrets and stories about Danville. She talks about a time when Carmen DeVivi, a gentleman who was known as the original Father Christmas in Danville, would pull up in a horsedrawn carriage to the old Oak Tree and turn the lights on to help create the “Magic of Christmas.” His costume is in the museum. DeVivi also had an art gallery in Danville where he sold some of DeFreitas’ paintings until he moved to New Mexico to pursue his own way in the world of art.
DeFreitas grew up in Oakland and moved to Danville in 1963 with her husband, Joe.
“I was very lucky that he was so encouraging and supportive. He was a good man,” DeFreitas said of her late husband.
She also talked about how painting was a perfect complement to being a stay-at-home mother.
“I’d paint when I had time,” she said. “But my family always came first.”
For years, DeFreitas was a member of the Alamo and Danville Art Association and won many ribbons for her artwork. Although she no longer enters contests or sells her paintings, her talents are still abundant as proven by the dozens of paintings that hang in a small office, her “art studio” in her Danville home. Only a lucky few folks have one of her originals but anyone can still view her work at the museum.
“Art is a way to look at things differently,” DeFreitas said. “I still scan things to see if they would make interesting paintings.”
Because of diminishing health, she no longer paints like she once did but she remains busy with her two children, eight grandchildren, five great grandkids, and many friends that visit often. She also loves to garden, and recognizes that creativity takes many forms, bragging about a daughter who is an interior designer, a son who is a woodworker, and a couple of grandsons in the dramatic arts.
DeFreitas is still inspired by landscapes but now works with watercolors to avoid the strong turpentine smells from oil painting and the messy cleanup. Her busy social calendar ensures she isn’t home for long periods of time anymore.
“You should take up painting,” she advises visitors. “It’s a great hobby and brings a lot of joy.”
Anyone heeding her advice might begin to take notice of the houses and places of business among the rolling green hills illuminated by the fading sun and find a little inspiration known as Virginia DeFreitas.
