Robie Benve Art

A nice walk on the beach at dawn: priceless. I am not a morning person, at all. But if the reward is a walk on the beach, with the sun rising, the seagulls calling, and the waves gently accompanying the rhythm of my feet, I'd get up early any  time. I took this photo on Saturday morning, round 6 am in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy. On the left you can see the caterpillar cleaning the sand, like every morning. That's another thing I love about early mornings: to see the business of trash colectors, street cleaners, beach staff, etc. What a clash with those that have not seen a bed yet, still out from the night before, walking around in a more or less advanced state of drunkenness. I was there breathing in the morning air, enjoying the different sounds and smells of the morning activities, the sun rising, a new day blossoming... And here and there seeing young people un the streets, unable to function, who knows what they had ingested during the night.  Sad, really, seeing ...

One of the doodles I made this summer - Love my sketchbook! I turned 44 few days ago. 44….   Who would have thought I would have felt like this at 44? When I was a kid I imagined myself in the future, and the thought that in the year 2000 I would have been 31… so old, I thought!   AhAh! Now I think it’s hilarious, because at 31 I didn’t even know who I was yet. I feel like with the 40s come self-awareness, and I am finally comfortable being ME.  In my 40s , I finally learned to acknowledge others opinions, but not to care about them too much, especially the negative ones.  I don’t think my way is better than others, most people are living their life much better than me. But I like how my path it’s going, and I learned not to care if you disagree, still very challenging at times, but priceless skill. I finally understand why my mom kept telling me that the mean girls in school were “just jealous”. Of what? I though. They seemed to be pr...

"Towards the Light" 18" x 24" - Acrylic on canvas Currently showing at the "Elusive Nature" show at the Upper Arlington, OH municipal building. As every summer in the last few years I am in Italy. My Italian vacations are different from most people, I don't frantically visit cities and monuments, but I just enjoy spending time with my family. To tell the truth I feel kind of guilty spending days in total laziness, but it's so nice! We have been here six days and only today I got the feeling that "well, maybe we should do something". I'm in the town where I grew up, the neighbors are still exactly the same ones, only older. The gossip did not change much either, there is always someone cheating on the spouse, mistreating their elder parents, or just acting weird. The kids love seeing the grandparents. How comes my parents didn't spoil me growing up as they do with my kids???  lol    It's a good va...