Robie Benve Art

Happy me in front of the ArtPop Street Gallery billboard featuring my painting "It'll Be Grand". Oh my, there are times when you hope for things, you want them very hard, and everything goes wrong. But there are other times when you think "that sounds interesting, I'll give it a try" and you get the the best results.  The first time I applied for the ArtPop Street Gallery Columbus, in 2019, I thought I had a strong piece, but did not get selected. It was a little disappointing. So, this year I applied again. Even if I had very low expectations, I tried to do it right. I chose a piece I really liked, I cropped it just right, and I made sure I followed all the technical requirements of the online submission.  Then I moved on and kind of forgot about it for several weeks. The Advantages of Submitting for a Juried Art Competition I think submitting for any juried competition is a win-win, especially when, like in this case, there is no submission fee. It takes a...

The mixed media adventure continues! Today I was inspired to include a figure into an abstract painting, and add layers of colors, textures, and shapes to make it unpredictable and more interesting. I took a few photos in between, just to record some of the progression in the layering, you get to see a few of the steps below. "Wisdom" 15"x20" Mixed media on paper Here are some of the steps Begining: I started by tracing my hand and doodling with water soluble markers and color pencils. Then I sprayed with water, which made the markers bleed and spread. Wisdom WIP - Beginning WIP: Then I drew a figure with colored pencils, colored the background with ink, added some purple cut paper, and magenta stencil patterns. Wisdom WIP WIP 2: I applied layers of tissue paper over many areas, creating texture and filtering the prominent purple paper.  Then I added some acrylic paint on the texture, and stenciled in positive words on ...

"Refreshing" 8"x10" Oil on Board Sold Sometime we need to get away and spend time doing something relaxing. It's a survivor thing, you've got to unplug every once in a while and do what you love to do, with the people you love. But hey, for the days when I just can't get any farther than the supermarket down the street, looking at pictures like this gives me a little bit of the good feeling I need. It's like a spark of positive thoughts, and I feel refreshed already. Love to create paintings that may serve as positive sparks on someone's wall.  :)

"Serene" 6"x6" Oil on Gessobord Available Some days end with a placid and serene feeling to them, and those evenings make you want to look at the day's happenings with an inner smile. Every episode, even the parts of the day that seemed so hard to live, takes a different meaning under this light of serenity. It's not a sunset. It's a feeling. I love those evenings when I can truly see the positive in all things. Have a good and serene night. :) Here is how the painting looks framed:

"Spring Beauty" 5"x7" Oil on canvas panel The comment that I get the most from people (apart from "you have an accent, where I you from?") is that I am always cheerful. This to me is the best compliment. :) "How can you stay so positive in a situation like this?" "I admire how you always manage to focus on the good" "You smile a lot" "There she goes finding the positive" and so on. It can be worded out differently, depending on the situation, but the bottom line is that I am a positive and cheerful being and people notice it. Honestly, I never understood the importance of this until few years ago.  I thought seeing the positive, trying to put myself in other people shoes before judging, finding humor in everyday little snafus was normal. Apparently not. It struck me at one point how much easier it is to be negative, to dwell in criticism and negative thoughts. I learned to stay away from those k...

"Towards the Light" 18"x24" Acrylic on Canvas SOLD - Prints available In this season of reawakening I joyfully enjoy the daily miracle of life sprouting  at each corner. Winter is over and I can finally stay outdoors, enjoy the fresh air, and recharge my batteries. Closeness to nature always recharges me, the trees, the plants, and the smells are balm for my soul. The chirping of birds tickles my heart. I'm completely fascinated. About the Painting I started this landscape painting by creating some texture with modeling paste mixed with acrylic paint. Then I kept mixing modeling paste to the acrylic paint, and applying it with brushes, painting knives, and splattering techniques, experimenting all the way. It has been a fun-filled painting process. :) It's the second path in the woods that I paint, and I am working on a few more. It's such a beautiful metaphor of life and hope, I love to paint paths in the woods. :) Click Here for ...

"Autumn Walk" 24' x 30" (60.96 x 76.2 cm) Acrylic on Canvas Prints on paper or canvas available here Is it finished? I have been asking myself this question about this painting for a while, and I now (finally) think it is finished.  The beautiful photo reference was provided by the A Nos Pinceaux challenge, few months back, but I have kept it on the works for a long time, alternating with other projects. Sometimes it really helps setting  a painting aside and work on something else. When I pick it up again I see it with fresh eyes and it easier to see what needs working. I am glad I kept working on this, because I like it much better with the recent changes. It was mostly texture and brushwork issues, and some value adjustments. I tried to keep it lose and fun, and hopefully I succeeded. It has been quite challenging to get a good shot of this painting, I thing this one is pretty close to the true colors. It's amazing how slightly different  l...