Robie Benve Art

"Schiller Park Bridge" 9"x12" Oil on panel Sold   Plein air painting is all about immersing yourself in the landscape during the painting process, and fully enjoying the experience . After many spring outings with awful weather, this day was really beautiful. Sunny and breezy. I finally truly enjoyed every second of it. Sometimes I add a few final touches to the plain air paintings in the studio, after I get home. That's because: 1. Two hours are usually not enough (at least for me) to complete a painting and also add final details. 2. Back in my studio I can look at the painting with fresh eyes, and notice right away some things or changes that are needed. But this time I did not touch it any more. This is true 100% done on location, with no come-backs. Some areas are a little unresolved, but I like that. In my learning curve of painting skills and techniques, I am at the point where I try to stop while I am ahead. Too often I end up over-wor...

"Sticking Out For You" 9"x12" Oil on Board All winter I waited for spring to get the opportunity to paint outside. I love to go to the local parks and challenge myself to paint despite the changing light, the wind, the bugs, and so on. Two things I could do without when I paint outdoors: cold and rain. On the day I painted this painting it was sooo freezing! And it was raining too! Not the best conditions for the first outdoor painting of the year! lol I've been tempted to give up and stop painting so many times during the session, but I liked that tree quite a bit, and that kept me going. I have to say, considering the weather, the frozen limbs, and the rain wetting my palette, I made surprising progress on the painting, it was practically finished when I took it home. So here it is: my first plein air painting of 2016. painted at Schiller's Park, in the heart of Columbus' German Village, in a freezing day of this crazy April 2016.

"Leaning Towards Winter" 8"x10" Available Fall colors are here, what a marvel for the eyes! I went paintung at Pickerington Ponds Park, in Canal Winchester, OH. This small tree on the banks of a pond had started  getting golden and copper colors, and it was beautifully contrasting with the water and the darker trees in the distance. I had fun painting this, and after a period of very small plein air paintings (6"x6") this is an 8"x10", and I was able to complete it in a couple of hours.  I'm pretty happy about it. :)