Nothing fulfills me quite like painting does.  Everything that I see gets processed through my mind in terms of “how would I paint that”, or “how can I make that beautiful color”?   At this point, landscapes are my most frequent subject, although occasionally I paint a portrait or still life to keep my painter’s eye fresh.

I paint in oil, both plein air and from photos that I have taken.   Highlights, shadows and reflections excite me because they bring my paintings to life, and I am especially drawn to compositions that include architecture and figures for they enable me to put order and purpose into the wonderful disorganization of nature.

Always in search of more visual inspiration, I travel as often as I can; my very favorite trips have been to Italy, where I find the light, shadows, and local color fascinating.  Re-creating on canvas the charm of ordinary doorways, windowsills, and streetscapes transformed by simple shafts of light into something magical is both my joy and my challenge.

People sometimes ask me how I know when to stop working on a painting.  I attempt to quickly grasp the feeling of the work, and then not overwork the spontaneity caught in those early, loose brushstrokes.   When I finish a painting, step back and feel the same sense of pleasure that I felt when I first set eyes on the scene, then I know that it is done.  

I hope that you find enjoyment as you look into each of my paintings.  Perhaps you have been in my footsteps.  The beauty of art is living every day with places that you love.  Paintings make that possible.

Please feel free to contact me at BenjaminArt@me.com, or call 239-207-2565.