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...

"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.

"Evening Snow at Thompson Park" 8"x10" Oil on panel Framed Available at High Road Gallery & Studios I love how loose and impressionistic this winter scene came out, with the light snow that lets the ground peak through. I painted fairly quickly over a start of a different landscape painting that was not heading the right direction. The colors that were already on the canvas really did a great job as under-tone for the new one. The scene if a local park, near my house. I wanted to sit on the bench and look at the sunset, but it was too cold and wet for my taste, so I stood there briefly, took a photo, and then kept enjoying my walk on the path. :) Come see it at High Road Gallery & Studios, 12 E Stafford Ave, Worthington, OH. Open Fri & Sat 12-4 pm. Special receptions on Sat Dec 8, 12-4 pm, and Sunday Dec 9, 2-5 pm.

"Heading South" 18"x24" oil on canvas, framed Available Several months ago my friend Rene Nitsche posted a beautiful sunset photo on facebook and I was immediately inspired to paint it. It took me a while, but here is the finished piece. I took some artistic liberty and added a flock of birds at the horizon. I think it adds a nice touch, and it also inspired the title. I love the warmth and the sense of serenity that comes out of this scene. : )     Blessings, Robie

"Hopes and Smiles" 12'x12" Oil on  linen panel in floater frame Sold Another en plein air landscape painting of the Park of Roses, in Clintonville, OH. I did this one day after the previous post. I really loved that tall tree with cool colors, and I enjoyed the challenge of painting it, as well as the sprinkles of the fountain.

"See You Later" 24"x24" Oil on Canvas $650 Inniswood Gardens is a wonderful Park in Westerville, Ohio. I love to go there and walk around, on my own, with friends, and also with my kids. The park has several different areas, with specific habitats, and environments, and nice areas for kids to play, including a great tree house. Anyway, this painting features the boardwalk in the wooded area, and a barred owl, a bird that can actually be seen in the park. On a personal level, I am very attached to the park because they gave me the opportunity to have my solo show in the Innis house last fall. I had several of my landscapes in the show, and the reception was well attended, thanks to the terrific support from the staff and the patrons. Can't wait for the fall colors to be back, that's my favorite season in any park! "See You Soon" will be in the show "Reflexion from the WAAL", the fall show for Worthington Area Art League Me...

"Free Spirit" 30"x48" Oil on Canvas SOLD I love skies paintings. After I started adding birds to the skies, I love them even more. This painting in particular has a lot of significance to me; I liked it so much that used it on my business cards and artist statement. Something about the many layers of meaning of a white dove flying with spread wings just captures me completely. I had it hanging at the opening reception at the High Road Gallery and Studios on Sunday, and I got a lot of great feedback about this painting in particular. To add to the happiness, I sold it! Free Spirit is going to a nice condo in Florida, home of a wonderful gentleman that I had the pleasure to meet last week. Now I am even more inspired to paint skies and birds! Feeling thankful. :) 

"Still Covered" 8"x10" Oil on panel Available On my Thursday class at the Cultural Arts Center the instructor, Brent Payne, set-up a still life for those that wanted to accept the challenge and give it a try. I loved the idea, and I painted it in a couple of hours. The relative speed kept it painterly and impressionistic, and I like that.

"Three Apples" 6"x6" oil on panel SOLD Painted from life in about a couple of hours during my Thursday morning class at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center. The instructor, Brent Payne, challenges us with still life set-ups or live models every week. I kind of need that extra encouragement to paint from observation. Very different than painting from photo. A great exercise, somehow similar to painting a landscape en plein air. The original was only  6"x6", but you can now order prints up to 24'x24' on Imagekind. Click here to see available sizes and cost.

"Path in the Golden Field" 5"x7" Oil on panel SOLD This small painting is based on a quick study that I did at Pickerington Park back in October. I painted this not looking at a photo of the actual park, but looking at the photo of the painting I did at the park. (hope this makes sense) That was fun! And, since the painting work had already been done, and decision about composition, color, value, and temperature already been made, it made the problem solving involved with each brushstroke much faster. Curious fact: the study was actually bigger than this painting. I realize now that I have not posted most of my fall plein air paintings. I'll try to do better in the next days. In the meanwhile January is almost over and I have only partially caught up with my 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Still working on it, though. : ) Thanks for reading. Blessings to you and your loved ones!

The year has started with great excitement for me! I have been offered a studio space at the High Road Gallery and Studios in Worthington, OH, and last week I moved in! My studio space at High Road Gallery and Studios The High Road Gallery is in a charming 1818's house, owned and administered by artist Carol Hershey. Carol ran it as a non-profit art gallery for many years, and in 2014 she changed it to artist studios and gallery.  I am very happy to be sharing the building with several very talented artists. High Road Gallery Artists: Dianne Bauman Robie Benve Rachel and Ken Conner Michael Crapser Dede Dufresne Joyce Fisher Jim Glover Deb Haller Carol Hershey Marty Husted   Ruth Ann Mitchell Jeri Ellis Platt Cynthia Tinapple I am looking forward to working in the new space and interacting with the other artists. The gallery and studios are located at 12 E Stafford Ave, Worthington, OH and it's open to the public on...

One sunny and happy day in December I pledged to take the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge in January. I knew it was going to be hard to find the time, so I announced my decision on social media, knowing that publicly accepting the challenge would keep me accountable for actually working on it. Shortly after, I packed and went to Italy to visit family, wishfully bringing paints, brushes, and small canvases with me. I was going to start the year there, so I needed to start painting too. Well, can you believe that I did not paint one single square inch while on vacation? (Nor on the first days back!) Now I am back home, trying to catch up with life and with painting. I keep telling myself: the challenge says 30 paintings in 30 days, it does not necessarily mean one a day. I'm allowed to paint several in a week and catch up. I CAN DO IT! With these positive and hopeful thoughts I am looking toward the second half of January and getting mentally ready to paint several small p...

One wall of the Dinsmore & Shohl LLP  - Legal Counsel lobby with some of my sky paintings A few months back I was contacted by a representative of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP  - Legal Counsel . She had seen my work online and asked if I could exhibit in their lobby. I went to see the space and loved it. It's a beautiful and big lobby with a nice hanging system that can fit several big paintings.   13 of my paintings are now on view in that great space. I am really excited and proud that Dinsmore & Shohl has given me this great opportunity.   My work will be on view there until the end of the year. at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP  - Legal Counsel 191 West Nationwide Blvd Columbus, OH 43215