Couple new ones - more to come....!

I've been getting a pretty good response from the paintings that are still on display at The Coffee Cartel in the Central West End (http://thecoffeecartel.com/). I'm also not really sure when I'm required to take my paintings down ... But I'm sure they'll let me know.

As soon as I get some of those paintings back home, I can upload some of the new ones on here which I did not have a chance to photograph since I was in a bit of a rush to get them hung. However, listed below are a couple recent paintings.

The painting below was inspired when I was driving into the Loop one night to hang out at a friends house. The combination of lights from the street, shops, and vehicles immediately grabbed my attention and I knew I wanted to try and capture that precise feeling at that moment, if possible. I quickly grabbed my camera phone (best invention ever) and snapped a few photos hoping that would give me enough material to work with. The painting below is a result of my effort to recreate that initial response to the liveliness one can find when they're least expecting it.



"Starry Night"
Oil - 24"X30"

P.S. I know the above title is a bit of a cliche, though I had music playing when I was painting this, and a cover of the song "Starry Starry Night" came on during the process. As a result, I figured the name was quite fitting. Sue me.

The painting below is sort of an upgrade from a previous attempt. It used to be a painting of a sunset with some rocks in the foreground, but I wasn't excited about how it turned out and there seemed to be something missing. This is the result of my revision. I'm much happier with it now:



"Familiar Sun"
Oil - 30"X40"

I'm still here

I think an update is in order seeing as how the last post is dated from July. Listed below are some of the new paintings that I've neglected to post. Enjoy!

"Aesthetic Reverberation"
30"X40"



I took some pictures while at the Foo Fighters concert this past summer, and used them as a starting point for this painting. It's not supposed to be Foo Fighters in the painting; my main goal was just to capture and represent the energy that is projected when seeing bands play live. All modesty aside, I think I did it.

"Luminous Invigoration"
30"X40"



Another painting inspired by our family trips to Destin, Florida every summer. I used a photo I had taken about 5 years ago as a reference from this and slowly just let my creative side take over. I finished with "finger painting" most of the foreground grasses and then threw in a few splatters of paint for good measure. I left my finger prints in the bottom Left corner ... why not.

Obviously, I was intending to convey a sense of life to the the things growing along the shore of this beach, hence the name of the painting; "Shoreline Vitality"
30"X40"



I painted this one really late one night and hardly remember even working on it. I just remember being really tired and trying to quickly fill in some area's so I could feel roughly satisfied enough to quit and go to bed. I left the room feeling like I failed in what I was trying to accomplish, but the next morning I ended up standing in front of it and smiling.

Aptly entitled, "As I Stand Dreaming"
30"X40"



"Summer Perfection"
24"X36"

New website and new paintings

I suppose I haven't done a post in a while ...

... I suppose that sentence is no longer valid.

Moving on - I went ahead and created a website to host my art and aptly named it Sometimes Ben Paints. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think.

The painting below was done for my friend Sarah. She had been in Jackson, WY with her husband and enjoyed the scenery of the aspens in their fall colors. Naturally, she noticed my fascination with trees and asked if I could paint some for her to give to her husband as an anniversary present. And of course, I said ok.

True Story.

Hotel Entrance

Dave and Lindsey visited Ireland earlier this month, and returned with some neat pictures. This is a painting inspired by one of their pictures, though I took a bit of artistic license when re-creating the scene.

30"X40"

Escape in Burnt Umber

24"X30"

This is the last painting in a series of paintings that I'm working on. Haven't established a title to the series just yet, but figured it was worth the update.

"Wistful Dejection"

24"X30"

Child's Portrait

This is a portrait of a child, around the age of five. Of the male gender.

There's a bit of a story behind why I was commissioned to do it, but so as not to embarrass the one whom the story is about, I will not tell it.

I know, I'm very mysterious.

The Church Key

The Church Key is a fairly new bar located in the Grove (Manchester Rd and Vandeventer)and is where these paintings are now on display. The cool thing about The Church Key, despite the obvious reason stated above, is that it is furnished with materials which were scrapped from a nearby Catholic church when it was torn down. They have stained glass located throughout, church pews are fashioned as booths, bar foot rests are comprised of kneeling pads, and even the bar itself is a section from the choir loft. Best of all, in my opinion, is that it is a smoke-free bar. The result being that you wont leave there smelling like ass.

... By the word "ass" I'm of course referencing a species of animal.

These paintings are for sale at the bar. The only challenge was creating 3 paintings that flow together when placed side by side, though still having the ability to compliment each other if any one of the 3 canvases is removed. And of course, in the event that one is sold, it needs to have enough interest to where it looks great when displayed alone.

... And I had a week to accomplish this. I'm not bragging at all.

Here's a link to The Church Key's website if you'd like to find out a bit more: www.thechurchkeystl.com.

It's a rather nice place. If you go, tell the owner that you are completely amazed at the quality of art displayed on their West wall, and maybe I can get some more stuff in there. Ok, I'm just kidding ... kind of.

Portrait of a mother

This one was fun because I had to think outside the box a bit. My friend Lindsey asked me to paint a portrait of her mother with the specific request that I had to also paint an aura surrounding the image of her mother. Using three colors: white, gold, and sage green (in that order) I had to conceive in my mind, what someone's aura would look like, and project that in the background. It was a fun challenge in that I had to use a bit of my imagination - something that is often unnecessary when painting a portrait from photographs.

Walker

A portrait my little nephew Walker commissioned by Miranda, my sister-in-law. The trick with this one was taking a step backward and actually portraying him as he looked over a year ago when some pictures were taken of him at the beach.

And he wasn't really posed facing the viewer in the fashion that I portrayed him here in those pictures - he was actually looking down at the ground, away from the camera. Challenge? Nah...
20"X24"

More Trees

I went the "elementary school route" and made a Christmas present for my mom this year. She seemed to like it ...

Oh, and they are trees - just in case you couldn't tell. I know, I don't paint trees that often, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

Rower under the Bridge

I visited Florence, Italy in the summer of 2004, and decided to do this painting in response to how easy it was to find inspiration in the simplest things - scenes which are probably commonplace to the people that live there. I also toyed with the concept of "dualism," which is expressed by the chaotic splattering of paint on the bridge in contrast to the calmness of the river in which the man is rowing.

20"X30"

Destin: Between Storms

My family has visited Destin, FL every summer since I was a child and I've always been amazed at how fast storms come and go in that area. A storm can come out of nowhere during the middle of a bright and sunny day, and disappear just as quickly as it came about. What was once a dark and windy scene has now changed back into a beautiful day. I painted this scene with that idea in mind: the idea of a fleeting moment in time - A scene which will be unrecognizable in a few minutes.

Looking closely in the background over the water, there's the slight hint of an oncoming shower. I've also suggested the foreground with simple splatters of paint: a kind of foreshadowing of events to come.

30"X40"

Revised

Field w/ Yellow and Pink Flowers 24"X30"

I added a bit more to this painting. Maybe you cant tell at all ... but I think its better. It has found a new home as well ... so dont try to buy it. You know you want to, but I'm sorry you cant