Robie Benve Art

 I'm Loving My Newly Found Freedom! After 14 months of avoiding close contacts, crowds, meals with friends, gatherings, and more, I am finally vaccinated for Covid19 and I am back to doing a few things that I was greatly missing. Yay!! I Went to Art Class I've been going to the Open Studio painting class at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center since 2011, and during the pandemic it was closed, then it reopened at limited capacity, then it closed again, and finally reopened again in March. I missed it, but I was not feeling comfortable attending until this session. The session started two weeks after my second shot, perfect timing!  I eagerly signed up, afraid that with the limited capacity it would get full before I had the chance to join, and last Thursday was the first class.  Being back felt like seeing family again. I love the place, the people, and the energy in the studio. Ahhhh, so nice! I Went to an Art Opening A local gallery had an art opening in person, and two of...

My painting Xmas Time at the Ohio Theater is one of those that for some reason resonate with a lot of people at a deeper level. Not only I received great feedback from viewers, but it also got accepted into two juried shows: the 2020 Ohio Art League Fall Juried Show and the 2021 Bryn Du Art Show. Moreover, a few weeks ago,  Brenda Layman, a talented writer, surprised me with an email telling me that she was inspired by my painting to write a beautiful poem! When I read it, I felt so honored and humbled that I started thinking on how we could present them together. I ended up creating a video featuring both images of my painting and Brenda's voice reciting the poem. Below is the link to the video. Brenda Layman and I are both members of the National League of American Pen Women, a wonderful group of professional writers, composers, choreographers, and visual artists. You can learn more about our NLAPW Central Ohio Branch on the website NLAPW Central Ohio Branch Click on the image ...

Keeping on the "Think-Positive Path" Pays Off 2020 has been a challenge under many aspects. However, as far as my artistic happenings, I can't complain. I've been lucky. Me in my studio painting  The Scioto Deer  I received many blessings this year.  How comes? Why me? I think most of the opportunities that came along in this crazy pandemic months have found an open door with me because I strive to look for the positive in people and in situations, and I am always ready to deal with the unexpected. Thinking Positive Helps One thing that really helped me stay sane during the pandemic is that I make an effort to entertain only positive thoughts. It's not always easy. It's a process that involves choosing to avoid negative thoughts and then catching yourself while thinking about bad things or bad outcomes and consciously changing gears. I Trust the Process When I am worried about something, I have two courses of action:  If I can do something about it, then I cho...

March Sky Mixed media: paper and acrylic on wood panel 8"x10" see on my website I'm a big Harry Potter fan, I've read all the books several times, and of course watched all the movies, even more times. I love the fact that the Hogwarts March music score (from my kids' practice sheets... shhhh ;) is still visible under this night view of the LeVeque tower in Columbus, OH. There is a lot going on in this little painting, and it reminds me of the busy night life of the city. I really enjoy the challenge of creating semi-abstract mixed media painting using layers of paper, paint, and creating unexpected patterns with my hand-cut stencils.

OMG, MY PAINTING IS ON A MURAL IN THE SHORT NORTH!! This year, I have been blessed with my art on a billboard and now on a mural. Wow! My excitement might be slightly visible in the photo below... You know those times when you see other people accomplish something and you think, yeah, but they are amazing, I'm not even hoping for that. I'll do my own little thing. And then BOOM! it happens to you? Exactly. Wow. I'm enjoying every moment, don't wake me up yet, please. I'm very exited to that one of my paintings has been made into a mural in the Short North Arts District in Columbus, OH. The Colosseum Installed at 685 N. High St. on the South side of ROOH restaurant, facing Chase Bank. The Colosseum Mixed Media on wood panel 12"x12" Sold Thanks so much to the Marcia Evans Gallery for submitting my painting for the mural! And thanks to the Short North Arts District for sponsoring this wonderful program. This year is the seventh edition of the Short North Temp...

I like to have several pieces at different stages of completeness  and switch from one to another according to the inspiration of the moment.  My Home Studio Has Always A Lot Going On I took this picture a couple of weeks ago, while I was assessing 17 pieces that were all at different stages of done. I like to work on several pieces at the same time. It allows me to switch to a different painting any time I get stuck or my attention span is gone, and I need a break. Believe it or not, changing the painting on the easel feels like a break.  It gets my brain to rewire, start fresh. Placing a new image in front of me presents a new set of problems to solve and decisions to make. What would look good? What would enhance this picture? What colors should I mix and where and how can I apply them? How can I use my stencils in a way that is unpredictable and makes sense at the same time? Usually I have 3-4 pieces that are work-in-progress, but lately I have started many paintings,...

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...