Robie Benve Art

"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

Sometimes not much is asked of us. There are times when we just need to B e . Be there and enjoy the moments. "Guarding" 5"x7" Oil on masonite NFS We all have a purpose in life, and that purpose is usually not obvious. It may take stillness and inaction to be able to understand it. Focusing on feelings helps. A lot. Listening to my instincts and gut feelings has been helping me in my major decisions. I learned that... If it doesn't feel right it probably isn't. Not seeing a better solution in sight is not a good reason for making wrong choices. (Feeling inspired and pensive today :)   “Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life.  There are as many solutions as there are human beings.”      ~ George Tooker 

"After the Rain" 8"x10" Oil and acrylic on canvas Available Sometimes if I am driving home and I see a nice sunset I make a stop at the park to have a clear vision of the sky, across the large green area. If I am lucky enough I get decent photos from the view. This was one of those times. I started the painting in acrylics, and actually meant to finish with acrylics, but then decided that it needed some of the buttery consistence of oil paint, and covered most of it with a layer of oil paint, though some of the acrylic colors are still visible. At this point it's impossible even for me to know which is which. “The purpose of learning is growth,  and our minds, unlike our bodies,  can continue growing as long as we live.” ~ Mortimer Adler

Happy New Year!!!!! "Golden Light" 11"x14" Acrylic and Oil on canvas Available A new year always starts full of promises and great intentions. My first good intention of the year is to paint every day, aiming to complete 30 paintings in 30 days. This is the painting completed on January 1st, 2016. I painted this from one of my favorite sunset (or is it a sunrise?) photos. I have done a couple of paintings with oil of the same scene, both sold, this time I tried it with acrylics. I had not painted with acrylics for a long time, and I have to say it required some adjustments on how I handled color mixing and brushstrokes. Main differences: acrylics dry very quickly and they are not as buttery as oil paint, so I had to use many layers where one brushstroke would have done it with oils. Considering I was very busy with family commitments, I am pretty proud of this first piece of the year. I did it! You can see postings by participants in the 30 ...

"Golden" 6"x6" Oil on board SOLD For Prints of this Painting Click Here I painted this golden sunset pretty quickly, really enjoying every stroke. It's a small painting, and I am considering making a bigger version; however, part of me is afraid redoing it I will lose the spontaneity and freshness in the execution. The other part of me thinks its worth a try. :) I might just have to get a big square canvas - all of those I have are rectangular - toss all fears to the side, and tackle a bigger version of this baby.

"Thinking of You" 8"x10" Oil on Board Available This painting puts me in a romantic mood. It makes me feel like I want to be there, but not alone. So I know that if my loved one was not with me, with a sight like this I would be thinking of him, hence the title "Thinking of You". I filmed the painting process for this with my phone and created a time lapse video. I am trying to get better with time lapsing myself painting, but this video turned out all right for a time lapse rookie. You can see it on my facebook page (and if you get there, make sure you like my page, then you'd really make me happy!) One question still persists in my mind: is this a sunset or a sunrise?  I really can't decide. Thanks for visiting!

"Magenta Sunset" 6"x6". Watermedia on Canvas Sides painted dark Another one of my Vibrant Brushstrokes series. I really enjoy the spontaneity and fun of creating small paintings with this technique. I usually listen to very upbeat music while I paint colorful and vibrant paintings. For "Magenta Sunset" I had my Latino playlist on, and alternated brushstrokes with dance moves. Good thing my studio walls can't talk, lol!

"Joyful Sunset" 6"x6" Oil on Gessoboard SOLD I really enjoy painting these small sunsets. Most of them are from photos that some of my friends took by chance (lucky!). Sunsets make me smile, and I love to see them framed too. This one is currently at UOF Art Gallery in the Columbus, OH Short North in an exhibit with 150 small paintings by local artists. If you are in the area check it out! :)