Barbara Benda

Thank you to everyone and the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation who made my time in Medora memorable….June 4th-14th, I had the opportunity to teach a 4 day Spur Your Inner Artist with Drawing and Watercolor course at the Life Skills Center. Some of the workshoppers came to the Theodore Roosevelt Salute Performance and were asked to do blind contour sketches of Teddy (see attached photo)….Some had their photo taken with TR….We had a great time of learning and friendship with art skills expanding by the moment. My twin, Beverly, was an integral part of the 10 days as she promoted, encouraged, and worked hard to make certain that everyone had a great experience.  We also attended the fabulous Medora Musical as a group .

In the three days following the workshop, Beverly and I hosted three afternoons of free drawing activities for children “of all ages”. I also demonstrated how to paint and sketch before the musical in the evenings.

Beverly and I posed with Cowboy Lyle at the Badlands Pizza and Saloon. I painted this portrait of Lyle two years ago. I met him about four years ago at the Hot Air Balloon Rally. He was out with his camera shooting pictures of the event. The sun hit his hat and face beautifully and I approached him to ask if I could photograph him. He seemed a bit unsure, but he let me take the picture and I painted his portrait. He saw it for the first time last year. Bev and I sought him out on this trip to take us out to the Park one night and show us where the wild horses hang out. He was the best guide and we saw over 60 horses. We took him for pizza the next day and he showed us lots of his fabulous photographs and he told us stories about them. Great memory! Sadly, Cowboy Lyle passed away two weeks after this photo was taken. May He rest in peace. We are grateful for our time spent with him, chasing around after wild horses. He blessed us in many ways.

Beverly and I also did some plein-air painting at Bully Pulpit Golf Course and in Theodore Roosevelt National Park- all a perk of being an artist-in-residence.

If you haven’t been to Medora, ND, pack your bags and go- the glorious wonders of the Badlands and the amazing people you meet will be worth it!

If you are someone who has not taken an art class since high school, this is the season to discover or re-discover the artist within. I encourage you to make a move today toward yourself, to discover your talents and a passion that will help you relax and become the artist you’ve always wanted to be. For some of you, you’ve done art in the past, but the pencil and paintbrush are rusty. Taking a workshop is a fabulous way to get back on track.

These are 3 reasons for you to get enrolled in a workshop today:

1. To express your innate desire to create something new, beautiful, or representative of your unique self. Many of you have experienced life-changing events that block creativity.  Art has a way of giving you a new lease on life and releasing the emotions that keep you from moving forward.
2. To gain skills in applying foundational knowledge of drawing and painting that will give you confidence in painting beyond the workshop.
3. To connect with other artists who are also learning and growing in their creative journey. I encourage a sense of community in my workshops so artists get to know each other and benefit from each other’s friendship.

I have 34 years experience in teaching, 40 years experience in drawing and painting, and 60 years of experience in playing. With my 134 years of experience, I believe I can help you learn to draw, paint, and play with success.

These are the workshops I have planned for the remainder of 2018:

August 20-23           Beginning Drawing and Watercolor, Red Door Art Gallery, Wahpeton, ND, http://www.reddoorgallerywahpeton.com                               Contact Bev at 701-610-9529 for more information and a registration form. 

September 24-28             Dillman’s Resort, Lac du Flambeau, WI– Drawing and Watercolor for Beginning Artists http://www.dillmans.com/dcaf/index.html

For more information, please contact Bev at bbenda@gra.midco.net or 701-610-9529.

The beautiful Hopkins Center for the Arts in Hopkins, MN, was the location for my latest art event,The Festival of Artists, held on March 25th to promote Dillman’s Art Workshop Retreat in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.  I will be teaching Drawing and Watercolor for the Beginning Artist  this coming September 24th-28th at Dillman’s! I am excited!

I was given the privilege of giving a one-hour demonstration and encouraging artists of all levels to sign up for a workshop at Dillman’s.  In the photo, I am showing brush technique to my new young artist friend! I met so many people and was so happy when I found out two women signed up that day! Thank you, Stephanie, Todd, and Lynn for your assistance and accommodation at this event! I look forward to teaching in the beautiful forests on a peninsula in Wisconsin during a time of great beauty of autumn colors and cool breezes from the lake.

I’ll see you in September….at Dillman’s!  To learn more, please click on this link: http://www.dillmans.com/dcaf/2018/barbara-benda-nagle.html.