Robie Benve Art

The Columbus John Glenn International Airport has a history of supporting the arts and local artists. In cooperation with the Ohio Art League, a different artist is featured every two months in the Gateway to the Arts Gallery, accessible by the general public at the ticketing level , by Max & Erma’s. Robie Benve (me! :) is the featured artist for the months of October and November 2019. I installed my exhibit on September 30. 23 of my paintings will be on view until December 2. 13 oil skies and landscapes on one side, 10 mixed media abstracts on the other. The Gateway to the Arts Gallery is accessible by the general public at the ticketing level of the John Glenn International Airport, in Columbus, OH. A view of Robie Benve's exhibit. 13 oil paintings on the left side of the hallway, 10 mixed media paintings on the right side, half are small abstract, and half are from my Close Up Views of Our Body series.     A view of the two walls of my solo sho...

I painted this lovely still life alla prima, all in one go, wet on wet. I even made a video and wrote an article about the experience - links are below, at the end of this post. "Fresh" Oil painting 9"x12" framed Available The price for the framed painting is $190, inclusive of tax. Free shipping or optional free delivery (in the Columbus, Ohio area). The images below show Fresh in its current frame. If you don't like the frame, contact me and I'm sure we can find a solution. "Fresh" in its white floater frame Front view "Fresh" in its white floater frame angular view The colors of the painting might be a little off depending on your the screen and on the camera settings. There might be weeks when I'm traveling, like part of September 2019, in which case it may take a couple of weeks from me to be able to actually ship the painting. If you are in a hurry, feel free to contact me bef...

This Saturday, don't look for me at home because I'll be in the Short North Arts District at the  opening reception for the Summer Show of Art. I dropped off several of my latest paintings on Monday, 15 pieces to be precise; three are mid-size, 12 are smaller. I'm thrilled to be exhibiting with such a talented group of artists, I can't wait to see the show hanging. The show is going to be on view for three months, and pieces will be rotating on the walls - hopefully many will be leaving with happy buyers. SUMMER Show of ART at Marcia Evans Gallery 8 E Lincoln St Columbus, OH How exciting is this!? It's a pleasure to work with Marcia Evans, and the other artists are all amazing people, I'm looking forwad to getting to know them better at the reception on Saturday. Also, I'm still debating it, but I might even do a demo or paint-on-location kind of thing, towards the end of the opening. I don't know, it's going to depend on the w...

"The Nutcracker at the Ohio Theater" 8"x10" Acrylic and paper on wood panel SOLD A yearly tradition for many during the Xmas holidays, going to see The Nutcracker ballet by Tchaikovsky is always a wonderful experience. So many memories are made inside of the lovely and historic Ohio Theater, in the heart of Columbus, OH. I wanted to capture a loose and lively rendition of the moment when people arrive to see the show, with the warm lights and the excitement of the evening. It makes me want to check what show is on this week! :) This piece will be in the Summer Show of Art at Marcia Evans Gallery in the Short North Arts District, 8 E. Lincoln St, Columbus, OH. On view: June 1 - 30 August 2019.

"Short North" 8"x10" Mixed Media on wood panel (Acrylic and paper) SOLD I love the Columbus Short North with its characteristic arches. A pleasure to paint. The area is undergoing some major renovations and improvements and its getting better and better. High Street is where you find the life of the party. :) This painting will be available in a few days through Marcia Evans Gallery 8 E Lincoln St, in the Short North Arts District of Columbus, OH.

"Breathing" 8"x10" Mixed Media on panel Sold A painting from when I finally got over the shock of becoming allergic to oils and took the courage to paint en plain air with acrylic and mixed media. I loved creating this baby at Hoover Reservoir Park. The day started foggy and gray and I almost did not go out to paint. Once there, the sun came out and made it a very enjoyable experience. First, I created an abstract and colorful mixed media under-painting with paper, acrylic gel, and hand-cut stencils. Then, I picked my subject and started painting with acrylic paint and palette knife. I love how loose it came out and how the bright under-painting glows through in several spots. I think I've found a great way to use acrylics outdoors. They dry so quickly that I thought it was impossible, but this technique makes it faster and doable. Yay!!

I'm a little late posting this, it has been a very busy week. Day five of the 20-minute challenge "A Walk on the Beach" 8"x8" Mixed Media, acrylic and paper Available on my website The fun I had doing this is hard to explain. Mostly due to the fact that I worked from a mixed media under-painting done with paper, acrylic gel, plus hand-cut stencils and acrylic paint. The random texture and patterns on the base made the behavior of the paint very unpredictable, and I really enjoy the ground color shining through. I created the under-painting before deciding what I would paint on it.

Today I did something a little different for my 20-minute challenge. I used an abstract underpainting that I had ready in the studio, on a panel a bit bigger than the previous days, you can see how it looked like below. I went from a 6x6 to a 8x8. It does not seem like much of a difference but it's a good 28 extra square inches that need to be covered with paint in the same 20 minutes. The abstract base made it a little more challenging, but also so much fun! I stretched a little the rules and worked some extra minutes after the timer went off. I just needed a few extra touches. :) Here is the final painting. "Spring River" 8"x8" Mixed Media on panel, acrylic and paper $80 Do you want to see the abstract mixed media base from which I started? Here it is :) Made with paper, acrylic paint, and custom hand-cut stencils. Mixed media abstract underpainting acrylic and paper Fun!

I have several wonderful photos from my time at the Bahamas and I am quite scared of trying to paint that amazing water. I already know there is no way that it'll look as wonderful as in the photo in one of my paintings. So, what's better than a quick painting challenge to embrace that challenge letting all fear go? Here it is, a 20-minute study of a paradise. "Bahamas Peer" 6"x6" acrylic on panel $45 To be attempted again. And again. And again. :) Next time I need to remember to set the sound of the waves as background "music".

"Going With the Flow II" 6"x6" acrylic on board $45 Second day of quick painting challenge, I had to make two pieces to actually end up with one that I liked. So I got double practice today, yay me. :) I really like the looseness of the strokes and the colors of this study.

Daily Painting Challenge Ok, this time is not a 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, this is a challenge that says "paint fast, with no time to overthink it, create a painting in 20 minutes, with no pressure to create a masterpiece, just get it done and practice quick decision making and fuss-less application. Do it for five days in a row." And day one is DONE!  :) I painted this on a 6"x6" wood panel, using acrylic paint. It took me a few extra minutes, but I was in a room with other painters and we were having a nice conversation, so I cut myself a little slack. Here it is.... "Purple Trees" 6"x6" acrylic on wood panel Daily Challenge: a 20-minute painting $45 The questions that go through my head at the end of the process: Is if finished? Do I like it? Would I call it successful? Sometimes the answers are not that straight forward, it might take a few days without looking at the painting and then, when I see it with fresh e...

   I've been posting images of my sold originals on my FineArtAmerica profile, and they are available for 2D prints, but also all kinds of cool merchandize, like cups, shower courtains, and tote bags. Today I received a payment through paypal, yay!! Thanks a lot to the person in San Francisco, CA that made the order. That's the only info that I get, the site handles all the manufacturing and shipping. And they do a great job at it! Here is the link to my PRINT STORE , check it out.  :)

Do you ever have periods in which things go well and you are afraid to wake up?  I'm in such a period right now. Things are going well, and I am so afraid the it will end out of the blue, just like it started. But hey, in the meantime, I'm doing my best to enjoy every minute of it. Never waste something good, right? Home-life is going great and my artistic endeavor is giving me some satisfactions that I thought would never come. Not only people are buying my paintings, which is amazing all by itself - to know that they are willing to pay for the products of me having fun in the studio, and keep them in their home, where they look at them every day, how wonderful is that?? Also, I am now represented by a super nice art gallery, and the owner invited me to participate in a small group show of mixed media art. Yay! It was supposed to be a solo show for one of the other two artists but, being over-committed, she requested to have someone else to share the space with, and...