Robie Benve Art

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. ...

"Gondola Veneziana"      11"x14"  Acrylic on Canvas Panel Venice holds a very special spot in my heart: I grew up few miles from it, and I went to the University in Venice. I've always enjoyed the city and its atmosphere, so rich of history and architecture, so artistic, and so poetic. Painting Venice can be intimidating. There are many things that are different from what our eye would expect. Lines in Venice are never straight. Walls, sidewalks and buildings have almost organic structure: they curve, soar and lean, in a harmonious way.   When I saw the A Day Not Wasted blog posted a painting challenge with a Venetian Gondola, I thought this was my chance to break the ice and start painting my beautiful Venice. Though the reference picture is darker than the Venice I like to remember, I needed the incentive to get started on my first painting of Venice, and it worked. I tried to brighten up the colors a little and added some flowe...