Robie Benve Art

 5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm)  Acrylic on canvas panel Once upon a bird, there was a black one who liked to live in open grassy areas, but one day he flew to a marsh in the middle of the forest…. What happened then?  No one seems to know. Rumors say he met a cute mate and started a family that loved to live in the shady forest; others state he missed the grassy landscape so much he soon flew back to his flock and had an adventurous life. I am so lucky that I got to paint him in the exact moment when a life-changing thought stroke his mind… even if I don’t know what that thought was, that reflection brought to the decision that determined his future. One thing is sure: he never regretted his choice and he lived happily and singing ever after. This painting was submitted to the DAPT panting challenge. It should soon appear on Lela Stankovic’s web site . A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. Chinese Proverb

5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm)   Acrylic on canvas panel This lovely dog has been a pleasure to paint. I love her expression, the sparkly eyes and how it looks like she's excited and happy, I imagine her breathing joyfully and fast, as happy dogs do. Her name is Zoe, and she belongs to Lee A. Brown, professional photographer and artist. Lee took a great picture of Zoe and posted it on the A Day Not Wasted web site, challenging artists to paint or draw her, trying to catch her personality. I love Lee’s challenges. He got me painting my first person ever – the saxophonist- and now my first dog!   If you want to see the painting challenge web gallery click here . Prints available at FineArtAmerica

5" x 5"  (12.7 cm x 12.7 cm)   Acrylic on stretched canvas SOLD                          I made some progress on the “hands” painting, but then I decided to set it aside for a while, because it wasn’t going very well… maybe a break will help. :) So I went to tackle the painting challenges from my favorite sites. What a productive day I had yesterday! I was stuck inside for all the rain, and it felt so good to paint and be creative! These cherries are for the Lela Stankovic’s challenge.  I liked the way they lean on each other, almost seems like they are rubbing their foreheads together, thus the title. To see the reference photo and submissions by other artists on the DAPT website click here . One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Don’t you love that every time you plan something, life takes over and it’s almost impossible things go as you imagined? It happens to me all the time, and I see it’s great opportunities to practice flexibility skills. :) I thought today I would finish this painting, for which I don’t have a title yet, but I’m still far from finished. Regrets? Not at all!! I had a wonderful time volunteering at the school, gardening, enjoying spring, and hosting one of the best play-dates yet for my son! Why did I try to make a painting schedule anyway? I guess to make sure I would make the deadlines of some painting challenges that I want to participate in. Some tweaking here and there, and I can still participate... I think. :) In the meanwhile, I’m so happy: The miracle of spring is happening, the city is getting so lusciously green and flowers are blooming everywhere. Now every field is clothed with grass,  and every tree with leaves;  now the woods put forth their blossoms,  ...

Street Light in Venice 8”x10”  Acrylic on Canvas Panel               When I was attending to the University in Venice, Italy, for the first few months, while walking from one classroom location to another, I was in awe every single day, amazed by the architectural details that are in each and every corner of the city. After a while the amazement decreased, and the rash and stress of lessons and tests took over, so I did not see all the astounding things anymore. Last summer I went back to Venice for a day, and boy was my jaw difficult to keep shut! There was me, my camera, and a splendid sunny day in Venice. So had a blast! I talked with the locals – they were amused by this “American” tourist that spoke their dialect, and took pictures of anything that caught my eyes. I even bought three watercolors painting from an artist on the street and had a nice lengthy conversation with him. ...

                                          5” x 7”  Acrylic on canvas panel This is my second painting using an old photo I clipped from a magazine long time ago. In the original there was only one bird, but I liked the idea to have a fuzzy couple perched on the flower stem, looking in the same direction. I’m trying to loosen up my brushstrokes, but I get caught in the details... a lot! I guess practice is the only medicine. :) I decided to post on the blog each painting I complete, not only my best ones. I guess the reasoning behind that is that with each piece I learn a little or a lot, depends on the case, and even if it is not stunning, and I’m not totally satisfied with the result, I’m sure it’s been important that I did it. (I even found the perfect Gandhi quot...