Robie Benve Art

"Gotta Have the Guts II" Acrylic, paper, fibers, and markers on canvas 24"x24" Sold   I had a lot of fun making this painting. I started from a completely random abstract painting, and then built this image on top, using paint, tissue paper, fabric, and markers.  There kind of is no wrong-doing when you use mixed media, everything you add to the painting can become something else with a few more layers of abstraction. The result is an abstract representation of an intestinal cell, as seen through a transmission electron microscope. The elongated forms represent the microvilli.  Each cell has thousands of microvilli, to maximize the surface area available to absorb the nutrients from the digested food. I find that super-fascinating. I actually made this and its companion piece, Gotta Have the Guts 1, for a specific juried show that was calling for art inspired by science. And they both got juried in, how exciting!!

"Gotta Have the Guts I" Mixed Media on Canvas 24"x24" Available I am very pleased that my fourth post of the month is about this piece! And #5 will be about its companion Gotta Have the Guts 2 (see next blog post). These two started me on a new mixed media technique using acrylic paint, paper, custom made stencils, and fibers. The image for Gotta Have the Guts 1 was inspired by a dramatic close-up image of the duodenum wall, obtained with a scanning electron microscope. The duodenum is where most of our digestion takes place.  I love how the blue cross-section of the villi stands out against the lining of the small intestine. I accentuated the fictional and surreal look by using color patterns and mixed media. I'm excited that it has been juried into the Fall exhibition  Hypotheses: Art inspired by the many worlds of Science , at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center.