Barbara Benda

As I prepare for my upcoming April 30-May 2nd Spring Art Sale, I am grateful for a winter of painting. My workshops had been cancelled since March 2020, and as a person with my  own  mind, I have chosen not to teach workshops through a mask and plastic shield until such restrictions are lifted. Communication has been affected by mumbling through a mask and has eliminated the value of facial expression to convey emotion and affirmation for my students. I assure you I will teach workshops again.  My future is bright because my faith is in Jesus alone, not in money, not success, not material things. This painting conveys that message. I painted this image in oil in 2007 and called it Birches: Looking Up. I painted another version of it last year on black watercolor paper and titled it, Birches: Still Looking Up.  In the last 2 months, I painted this one in acrylic-“similar, but different”, as my mother used to say. In the past 14 years since my first Birches painting, my faith deepened, my trust deepened, my future became brighter because of a string of hardships I faced. Yes, through hardship, one has a choice: become bitter or become better. I chose to put on the armor of God and fight the battles and become better…one way is to continue to look up, trust in God, and share my faith with others.  I cannot take credit for the work I do-it is divinely inspired and this painting is the punctuation mark of my belief that God is the “strength of my life and my portion forever”. That verse comes from Psalm 73:23-26. Read it and be blessed.  I look forward to seeing you at the Spring Art Sale April 3–May 2nd, 2021, 12-6 pm in Moorhead, MN. Contact me for details at barbara@barbarabendanagle.com

Birches and a Psalm by Barbara Benda, 40″x30″,Acrylic on canvas, SOLD.

Barbara with two curious art lovers at Sylvan Lake

Children are magnets for art!

Children -our present and future artists.

In October, my twin sister Beverly and I packed our watercolor equipment and headed to South Dakota. We painted, hiked, played golf, and absorbed the beauty of this paradise of forest, lake, and pine needles. We rented a cabin at Sylvan Lake- an idyllic retreat of fall colors, wonderful scenery, all subject matter for plein-air painting. Mornings and evenings were spent painting or sketching by the lake and then we hiked in the afternoons, then painted in our cabin when the sun went down and the world became quiet. The wonderful folks we met embraced our willingness to share what we do. Children loved watching us paint as we asked them about school and what they thought of the Black Hills. We met rock climbers who made it clear that climbing the rocks was about “technique” rather than strength. Still, it made us shudder to hear their tales. The blessings people gave us cannot be measured.

Have you seen the spire-style rocks along the Needles Highway? These are the strange spires that have verticality beyond words and call to rock climbers around the country. When we hiked the Cathedral Spires trail, we felt as though we were inhabitants on another planet, actors in a sci-fi film. As an artist, these rocks must be studied carefully with the eye. The sketches and paintings below are all studies are a critical part of information-gathering about “the structure of things”.

Needles Eye Rock Formation on the Needles Highway, SD

Beverly on the Sylvan Lake Hiking Trail

Today I am completing a 30″x30″ acrylic painting of a scene of bison I saw on the Wilderness Loop and a 30″x 22″ painting of a similar scene. Both were inspired by the bison watercolors below-each time I paint, the aspens glow brighter, the trees grow taller, we artists are free to exaggerate. This important process for artists from sketch to studies to final pieces is the process that works for us. Stay tuned for these studies to develop into something bigger, somewhat different, perhaps bolder in color? This journey called art has beginnings and no end. What began at Sylvan Lake will traverse through spring and beyond.  Praise God for His Wonders and Creation-limitless inspiration on this earth.

Some of these artworks are currently available on the Gallery page .

Sylvan Lake Rock Sketch, Graphite pencil

Spotted on the Wilderness Loop, Watercolor Study

Sylvan Lake Rocks at Evening, Watercolor Study

Sylvan Lake Rock Reflections, Watercolor Study

Lined up Like Soldiers, Watercolor Study

Bev’s Rock Study

Black Hills Bison Study, Watercolor Study

Value Sketches at Sylvan Lake, Graphite Pencil

Beverly sketching rocks.

Black Hills Bison, 30″x22″, Watercolor

Evening at Sylvan Lake by Beverly Benda, available on Benda Twins Art Store

Aspen Glow, 10″x20″, acrylic on canvas.

Among the Aspens, Acrylic on canvas, 30″x30″

• October 3-4, 12pm-6pm daily. FMVA STUDIO CRAWL  I will be demonstrating a variety of art techniques this year.  Physical distancing, use of hand sanitizers, and masks will be recommended for all visitors. This free event is open to all ages. You are invited to attend this event held at Mourning Dove Studio, 809 20th St. North Moorhead, MN. Online brochure can be downloaded at https://www.fmva.org/2019-studio-crawl/
• All Drawing and Watercolor workshops have been postponed until further notice. Private lessons and small workshops can still be scheduled by appointment only. I will be available after October 15th for scheduling. If you received a gift certificate for lessons, it is up to you to contact me. There are no expiration dates on gift certificates.
• Double Trouble Gallery, the new addition to Mourning Dove Studio in Moorhead, MN, is open by appointment only. You will be able to do physically-distanced shopping at your convenience. Afternoons and early evenings are the best times to visit the gallery. Call Barbara at 218-443-1126 to make an appointment for shopping.

Skipper by Beverly Benda

Beverly with Camarillo Trout

Barbara with Patriot Trout