Things To Do Before October Ends

For those of you who live in or anywhere near New York, there have been some great shows going on in Manhattan. First and foremost, the George Adams gallery has a fantastic exhibit up of Andrew Lenaghan's New Large Scale Paintings. This is only up until the 31st, so make sure to check it out.



Andrew Lenaghan
New Large-Scale Paintings
Opening reception: September 17, 6-8pm


Another great exhibit to check out is Sculpture by Akio Takamori, being displayed at Barry Friedman, Ltd. Tomorrow is the last day of the show, so if you find yourself near Chelsea, stop by. Both galleries are on W 26th Street between 10th and 11th Ave.



Akio Takamori
Alice / Venus
September 17 - October 17, 2009


Last but not least, I do have a new painting up on the website that you can check out (it's the second one in the painting portfolio).

Thanks,
Ben

Fall Is Here

September is already coming to a close, and hints of cold weather are looming. Its amazing to think how quickly this month went by. That said, there still is some more new work on the website you should know about. First, is a figure painting that I have been working on periodically during the month, and second is a quick drawing that I did a while ago but am just now getting around to posting. For those of you living in New York or those planning a visit, you should check out the Vermeer exhibit in the MET. They were able to acquire his famous The Milkmaid, and it can be seen thru November 29.

Vermeer's Masterpiece The Milkmaid
September 10, 2009–November 29, 2009


Well that's all the news for this week, but keep checking back periodically for more new stuff.

- Ben

Charles Chips

Just as I promised in the most recent post, more new work will be showing up on a regular basis. A new painting can now be seen on my website entitled Charles Chips. This piece was inspired by a new outlook on still life and is the beginning of a shift toward work that is more focused on the narrative. I would like to thank everyone who responded about the previous post and painting and also encourage others to share their thoughts.

Thanks,
Ben

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

I have to apologize for the fact that it has been awhile since the last post and much has happened since. I had a very busy summer, producing a body of paintings in Italy, which can be seen on my website. Upon arriving back I had a short stay in CT and then moved into my new apartment in Brooklyn during August. Since then I have been working hard to set up the new place and situate myself for a busy year at Pratt. However, with a little time here and a little time there I have been working on various paintings, the newest of which I just posted. So check out the site, let me know what you guys think, and there should be more to come very soon.

Ben

Arriving in Italy

On Saturday, I arrived in Italy in a little town called Montecastello, located within the region of Umbria. I will be staying there for the next 6 weeks, in which time I will get the privilege of studying painting and drawing while being surrounded by the beauty of Italy. Montecastello is like no other place I have ever visited in the world. It is like stepping back in time. The whole town is stone, all the buildings are connected and intertwined, and everything shuts down from 1 to 5 in the afternoon for the people to just enjoy living. You can’t walk by the bar/café without seeing a group of old men playing cards. Not to mention, the location is simply beautiful, being on the top of a hill with picturesque valleys below.


Here is a view of one of the main terraces.

And some views from the roof of my studio...

In the Hamptons For Brooklyn Goes East

This past Saturday was the opening of Brooklyn Goes East. The show was out in the Hamptons in a cozy little cafe called Hampton Coffee. There was a great turnout and the setting had a relaxing atmosphere, with wine, H’ors d’oevres, and the opportunity to look at interesting art and share artistic visions with others.

Below are the two pieces that I had in the show.

The show featured a wide variety of artwork from Pratt Alumni and Pratt students. Ellsworth Kelly, who has art hanging in both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, contributed one piece to the show, which can be seen below.

Brooklyn Goes East

During the month of May, a small sampling of my artwork is going to featured in the show Brooklyn Goes East. The two pieces, Dad and Self Portrait come from my Family Portrait Series, which consists solely of charcoal portraits I did during the month of April. To view these pieces, you can check out my drawing portfolio at http://www.blanktonart.com.