Benjamin Wu
“The Night on the Oregon Trail”
Oil on Canvas
42 x 56 in.

http://benjaminwufineart.com/

Benjamin Wu bio and accolades:
 
Born in 1961, Benjamin Wu studied art at the Guangzhou Fine Art Institute in China from 1978 to 1985. Upon completion of the oil painting program in the institute, he became a teacher at the Guangzhou Fine Art Institute. Although he’s honored to receive many compliments for his work, he realized, one must learn from the best to be the best. That’s when he decided to further his studies in the United States.
 
Benjamin Wu pursued his studies in painting and received his MFA degree from Academy of Art College in San Francisco in 1991. Since then, he worked as a freelance illustrator and continued to pursue fine art.
 
Benjamin Wu’s exquisite paintings have garnered many awards in exhibitions and competitions.
 
In 2006, he received the Merit Award for Portrait and Figurative from the Asian Art Exhibition in Tokyo.
 
Quickly following that, he received the Merit Award for his still life from Salon International 2007 in San Antonio, Texas. 
 
In 2009, he was the Best of Show winner for Salon International 2009.
 
In 2010, Benjamin Wu was the featured artist in the Nov/Dec’s issue of Art of the West magazine.
 
In 2011, Benjamin Wu won the Best in Show award at Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art at Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona.
 
From 2011 to 2014, Benjamin Wu had been participated in The West Select Exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum.
 
In 2015, Benjamin Wu participated in the show of Masters of American West in Autry museum.

http://benjaminwufineart.com/
 

A number of events fit for families, connoisseurs, and collectors are taking place this weekend in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Although the outstanding fine arts events in Jackson and Cody, Wyoming, have wrapped up, opportunities still remain around the country for families and collectors alike to enjoy the best that Western artists have to offer.

“The Best of the Best” is a three-day event beginning tomorrow, October 2, at the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve that features seven acclaimed wildlife artists. The events will culminate Saturday evening with a “Retrospective Exhibit & Sale” of the artists’ newest work. Of the seven, four are painters — Ken Carlson, Bob Kuhn, James Morgan, and Tucker Smith — and three sculptors: Ken Bunn, Walter Matia, and Tim Shinabarger.
 

Walter Matia, “A Point of Honor,” 2012, bronze, 14 x 20 x 12 in. (c) Woolaroc Museum 2015

Oilman Frank Phillips established the preserve among the breathtaking Osage Hills of Northeastern Oklahoma in 1925. At 3,700 acres, the preserve remains home to countless species of native wildlife and plants, including buffalo, elk, longhorn cattle, and more. The mission of the preserve is summed up beautifully in the words of Phillips himself, and they ring true today perhaps more than ever: “This isn’t all a dream about something, but a place where I can get back to nature. The great difficulty with the American people today is that they are getting too far away from the fundamental things in life. Too much time and money are spent on things which leave no record and which add nothing basically to the present nor to the future. To build permanently and wisely is to benefit all mankind. The conservation of wildlife now will mean much to future generations.”
 

Tucker Smith, “Return to the Prairie,” 2012, oil on linen, 16 x 40 in. (c) Woolaroc Museum 2015

Festivities kick off Friday with an artist and patron dinner, where sponsors and special guests are invited to preview the exhibition while meeting the artists. Information on how you can become a sponsor can be found here. The events continue Saturday with a luncheon at the gorgeous Woolaroc Ranch, where live entertainment, tours of the lodge, and tantalizing lectures from artists Tucker Smith and Walter Matia will surely whet the bidding appetite. The silent bidding for the exhibition and sale will kick off at 6 p.m. in the museum. The weekend will continue on Sunday with a brunch at 10 a.m. in what is described as “a lovely private home.”
 
To view a more detailed list of the events taking place, click here.
 
To learn more, visit the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Fall is in full swing around the country as leading galleries open their fall exhibitions. Oh Be Joyful Gallery in Colorado is no exception, but time is running out!
 
On view through October 11, “Meditations on Fall” is a featured group exhibition showcasing beautiful fall scenes from some of the country’s established artists. With David Grossmann, Meredith Nemirov, Sherrie York, and Cheryl St. John, Oh Be Joyful Gallery of Crested Butte, Colorado, has much to be joyful about.
 

David Grossmann, “Looking Up at the Changing Trees,” oil, 8 x 10 in. (c) Oh Be Joyful Gallery 2015

 
St. John’s “Afternoon Glow” is absolutely stunning in its representation of a group of trees, their leaves fully charged with brilliant yellow. Nearly lost in the gorgeous commotion are the highlights and splashes of vibrant red in the grasses below, along with the hints of blue in the landscape beyond. “Looking Up at the Changing Trees” is magnetic as well and displays the looser touch of Grossmann. From a low perspective, the viewer gazes up at towering trees whose leaves are shifting from greens to orange and red.
 

Meredith Nemirov, “Arbol Enredado,” watercolor, 13 x 13 in. (c) Oh Be Joyful Gallery 2015

 
Sherrie York offers viewer bold clarity in her “Treasured Path,” a print that allows the viewer to meditate on the quilting of color and leaves on the ground. A beautiful arrangement of pink, yellow, orange, and red leaves lay amongst brown and tan leaves and branches. Finally, Meredith Nemirov’s “Arbol Enredado” presents a more abstracted, but equally exquisite and detailed, arrangement of lines, colors, and forms undoubtedly inspired by the beauty of trees.
 

Sherrie York, “Treasured Path,” linoleum block print, 12 x 18 in. (c) Oh Be Joyful Gallery 2015

 
“Meditations on Fall” opened on September 11 and will be on view through October 11.
 
To learn more, visit Oh Be Joyful Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Working in a variety of styles, five New York-based painters feature in an outstanding group exhibition centering on the versatile medium of paper.
 
Bertrand Delacroix Gallery (BDG) in New York City is jubilant to open its doors today, October 1, for “Works on Paper,” an exhibition featuring five former students of the renowned Art Students League of New York. Visitors can expect a range of styles and subject matter, from the figural to abstraction to architectural and beyond, united through their unconventional use of paper and watercolor.
 

Kathryn Keller Larkins, “I-494,” 2015, watercolor on paper, 44 1/2 x 65 in.
(c) Bertrand Delacroix Gallery 2015

 
The five stars of the show are Elizabeth Allison, Chizuru Morii Kaplan, Mitsu Haraguchi, Kathryn Keller Larkins, and Norbert Waysberg.
 
BDG states, “Whether illustrating architecture, nudes, cityscapes, or nature, the works blur the line between figuration and abstraction. Each piece shows off not only the finished product, but offers a glimpse into the emotional artistic process as the visible drops and splashes of paint prove to be integral to the composition. Collectively, the works in the exhibition celebrate the delicate medium by challenging expectations and pushing the boundaries of traditional watercolor work.”
 

Elizabeth Allison, “El Dorado,” 2015, watercolor on paper, 60 x 40 in.
(c) Bertrand Delacroix Gallery 2015

 
Influenced by her love of classical buildings and architecture, Kaplan’s “St. Patrick, NYC” is a beautifully detailed watercolor of the aging cathedral. Shown from a low perspective, the two monumental towers of the church’s façade present a dominating presence in the work. In a grid-like arrangement, Kaplan has detailed the massive amount of scaffolding that surrounds the cathedral’s front. Only parts of the structure are visible toward the top. Balancing the strong upward movement of the towers is a patterned arrangement of runny, dripped watercolor. The hues in the work are captivating as well, predominantly consisting of whites, grays, and blues.
 

Mitsu Haraguchi, “House on the Hill,” 2015, watercolor on paper, 51 x 61 in.
(c) Bertrand Delacroix Gallery 2015

Norbert Waysberg, “Sunlight,” 2015, watercolor on paper, 51 x 76 in.
(c) Bertrand Delacroix Gallery 2015
 

Waysberg’s “Sunlight” is a highlight as well and showcases the figural potential of the exhibition. Curled and lying on a floor is a nude subject, the feet turned away from the viewer. The spatial context of the piece is mysterious, as the figure appears to lie on a sheet of linen or paper. At close consideration, the beautiful bleeding and blending of colors come to the fore as details soften and forms dissolve.
 
“Works on Paper” opens today, October 1, and will be on view through October 31.
 
To learn more, visit Bertrand Delacroix Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Two incredibly valuable, albeit small, Francisco de Goya works were stolen this month from a private home in Madrid.
 
The “Dream of St. Joseph” is a marvelous work by Romantic artist Francisco de Goya. An angel sweeping into the scene from the left gracefully approaches a reclining and sleeping saint dressed in brilliant orange. A bright, divine light illuminates the scene from above as the winged being reaches to touch St. Joseph’s shoulder.
 
This work, along with another drawing by Goya, “Sketches of Heads,” was reported stolen from a private home in a wealthy suburb of Madrid earlier this month. Spanish police believe the thieves did not target the art specifically, but found the works while in in pursuit of jewels and money within a safe. Entering the home on the evening of September 1, the bandits disarmed the home’s security system in a highly coordinated and planed theft. The residents, who’ve remained anonymous, were not home during the raid.
 
Interpol is working closely with Art Recovery Group and has withheld some information on the crime as the investigation continues.
 
To learn more, visit Artnet.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

An artist recently took up the task of capturing the residents of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Palo Alto, California, with magnificent results.
 
Featuring within the “Front Yard/Backstreet” group exhibition at the Palo Alto Art Center are a number of outstanding charcoal and graphite drawings by artist Joel Daniel Phillips. From June 2015 through August, Phillips was honored as the Palo Alto Art Center’s artist in residence, a distinction that required him to create a body of work aimed at the city of Palo Alto, California.
 

Joel Phillips, “Don,” 2015, charcoal and graphite on paper, 20 x 27 in. (c) Joel Phillips 2015

 
Phillips decided to turn his artistic lens on the residents of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park, which remains the last of its kind as poorer residents become increasingly displaced due to the rapid growth of the middle class in the Bay Area. Embroiled in a legal battle, the park has fought to survive and has evolved into a symbol in the long-running debate over gentrification.
 
The resulting body of work highlights not just the character of each individual mobile home, but the people who inhabit them. Phillips’s large drawings are, from a formal perspective, absolutely marvelous in their photographic realism. “Fred” displays the range of the artist’s skill, with every plant and texture rendered with extreme care. In the drawing we find Fred and his black Labrador companion. Standing at center with his home behind, Fred gazes out at the viewer with a welcoming smile.
 

Joel Phillips, “Amanda,” 2015, charcoal and graphite on paper, 60 x 90 in. (c) Joel Phillips 2015

 
Of his mission, Phillips writes, “In these drawings my goal was to explore the relationship between the tenants and their wonderfully varied homes. Buena Vista is a deeply unique space, both culturally and aesthetically, and it seemed to me that much of the debate around the potential closure has focused on just about everything but the residents themselves.” He adds, “The works are meant to investigate a small part of the cultural fabric that is this unique park, which sits in such contrast to much of the rather curated and sculpted perfection that is Palo Alto proper.”
 
“Front Yard/Backstreet” opened on September 18 and will be on view through December 13.
 
To learn more, visit the Palo Alto Art Center.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 
 

A must-see exhibition celebrates the work of one state’s historic women artists from 1880 to 1940.
 
With a lovely range of portrait, figural, still life, and landscape painting, The Irvine Museum in Irvine, California, is spotlighting significant women artists who called the Golden State home in an upcoming exhibition. In addition to the variety of subjects, “Independent Visions: Women Artists of California, 1880–1940” will offer viewers an exciting array of styles from the Classical to Impressionism, from Art Deco to Modernism.
 

Donna Schuster, “Los Angeles Harbor,” oil on canvas, (c) The Irvine Museum 2015

 
The museum reports, “Far from being limited to a dilettante role, women artists in California were important figures in the early part of the 20th century and excelled in landscape painting, as well as portrait, figural, and still life. Moreover, they set the standard in such diverse media as oil painting, watercolor, and sculpture.” Artists to be featured in the exhibition include Mabel Alvarez (1891–1985), Eliza Barchus (1857–1959), Loren Barton (1893–1975), Elizabeth Borglum (1848–1922), Jessie Arms Botke (1883–1971), Alice Chittenden (1859–1944), Elanor Colburn (1866–1939), Meta Cressey (1882–1964), Euphemia Charlton Fortune (1885–1969), Anna Hills (1882–1945), Mary Hobart (1873–1946), Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865–1937), Reva Jackman (1892–1966), Evelyn McCormick (1862–1948), Louise Nimmo (1899–1959), Julie Morrow (1882–1979), Elsie Palmer Payne (1884–1971), Mary Curtis Richardson (1848–1941), Ruth Peabody (1893–1966), Donna Schuster (1883–1953), Henrietta Shore (1880–1963), Luvena Vysekal (1873–1954), Marion Wachtel (1876–1954), Julia Bracken Wendt (1870–1942), Blanche Whelan (1889–1974), and Edith White (1855–1946).
 
A highpoint of the show is Jessie Botke’s “Mural,” which displays a gorgeous scene of the Everglades, populated with a number of exotic birds set in a space of gold leaf. In a work that rivals the accuracy of a John James Audubon lithograph, the birds display amazing naturalism with a variety of in-flight, feeding, and standing poses. The variety and accuracy of the plant life is noteworthy as well, with a number of identifiable species included, such as palm and fern.
 
“Independent Visions: Women Artists of California, 1880–1940” opens on October 3 and will be on view through January 21.
 
To learn more, visit The Irvine Museum.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

For the first time in nearly 25 years, a major exhibition shines the light on one of America’s greatest Regionalist painters and his art’s relationship with cinema and visual storytelling.
 
Only one week remains before an outstanding exhibition of Thomas Hart Benton’s (1889–1975) paintings, murals, drawings, and prints open its doors at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Featuring nearly 100 works, “American Epics: Thomas Hart Benton and Hollywood” illuminates the “overlooked relationship between Benton’s art, movie making and visual storytelling in 20th-century America,” as the museum states.
 

Thomas Hart Benton, “Portrait of a Musician,” 1949, casein, egg tempera, and oil on canvas, 48 1/2 x 32 in.
(c) The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 2015

 
Benton was able to cultivate a unique style built on his experiences on silent-movie sets in New Jersey, the first “Hollywood.” Combining traditional techniques with cinematographic storytelling, Benton established a lasting career with works that appealed to a broad range of Americans. Continuing, the museum offers, “The exhibition brings together nearly 100 works by Benton including 50 paintings and murals, as well as a selection of his drawings, prints, and illustrated books. It also presents related ephemera and film clips that highlight the allure of his paintings’ cinematic content, composition, and technical underpinnings.”
 

Thomas Hart Benton, “Self-Portrait with Rita,” ca. 1924, oil on canvas, 49 x 39 in.
(c) The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 2015

 
A highlight of the show is the aptly titled “Hollywood,” a massive 56 x 84-inch painting that beautifully displays the active, crowded scene of an early-20th-century movie set. A partially nude actress stands beneath a classical arch while a team of cameramen and sound and light technicians intently work their various mechanisms. To the left edge of the work, another team of actors, actresses, and technicians film an additional scene. A third and final team can be found in the background, on a dock along the water’s edge. The simple, bold forms and strong colors communicate the narrative with clear effectiveness and virtually no unnecessary detail is included that could distract the viewer.
 

Thomas Hart Benton, “Shipping Out,” 1942, oil on canvas, 40 x 28 1/2 in.
(c) The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 2015

 
Another beautiful and highly graphic image is “Portrait of a Musician,” which displays an African-American figure as he plays an upright bass. The image has a certain clarity and vibrancy that is absolutely captivating, the lines of the figure and instrument undulating organically — almost musically — creating life and movement in the work.
 
The exhibition is without a doubt a marvelous opportunity to catch a glimpse into the history of America’s popular culture during the early 20th century, and it is sure to leave a lasting impression.  
 
To learn more, visit The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

For an entire month, Cody, Wyoming, was filled with auctions, demonstrations, classes, exhibitions, a Boot Scoot’n Boogie, and more.
 
From August 26 through September 26, Cody, Wyoming, was bustling with a number of outstanding fine art events as part of the 2015 Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale. Among the events was a Boot Scoot’n Boogie, which featured local artists, businesses, classic cars, and musical entertainment along Cody’s Sheridan Avenue. Classes included an opportunity to build and design floor lamps. Students learned hands-on woodworking techniques from artist John Gallis over a two-day period while Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey and Jeff Rudolph offered chances to learn sculpting and painting, respectively.
 
Also featured among the multitude of events were a number of outstanding lectures, notably from Fine Art Connoisseur’s own editor-in-chief, Peter Trippi, who discussed his long experience in the art world and what to do with an art collection. Salt Lake City author and curator Donna Poulton offered her thoughts on how to build an impressive collection on a budget as well.
 
Highlighting the series of events was the 34th Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale on Friday, September 25, which boasted a number of tantalizing artworks available for purchase. Over 100 artists were featured in the live auction, including Ann Hanson, Matt Smith, Michael Coleman, Doug Hall, Linda St. Clair, Laurie J. Lee, and featured artist Chris Navarro. A complete list of artists can be found here.
 
To learn more, visit the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 
 

Winston Wächter Fine Art, New York, is overjoyed to present an artist’s first solo exhibition.
 
Climate change is a popular topic among the public and politicians as the 2016 presidential race heats up. For many artists, the ways in which humans have — and continue to — alter the state of our natural environment forms a central element of their conceptual message. Whether or not one believes humans are to blame, there is no denying that nature is fluid and changing, especially concerning water and ice.
 

Zaria Forman, “Svalbard #33,” 2014, soft pastel on paper, 60 x 90 in. (c) Winston Wächter Fine Art 2015

 
Artist Zaria Forman opened “SLIP” on September 10, her first solo exhibition at Winston Wächter Fine Art in New York City. The exhibition highlights the role of climate change on Earth’s most abundant element through large-scale pastels. The gallery writes, “These stunning, large-scale drawings made from photographs of polar and tropical lands combine sublime romanticism, social consciousness, and modern abstraction. With these works, Forman not only gives visual access to far-off places, but also renders the concept of climate change visually understandable and emotionally compelling. Avoiding any heavy-handed moralism, Forman instead suggests a contemplation of water, exploring the duality of the life-giving and destructive ocean.”
 
It’s hard not to meditate on water in the frothy “Maldives #15,” a massive 40 x 60-inch pastel on paper. With an incredible amount of detail, Forman displays two rushing bands of foamy waves that have just broken over the surf. No detail has been neglected as the picture captures nearly every twist, drop, splash, and spray of the salty subject. Noteworthy is the hint of glistening light that illuminates the upper edges of the two bands of waves.
 

Zaria Forman, “Greenland #72,” 2014, soft pastel on paper, 60 x 60 in. (c) Winston Wächter Fine Art 2015

 
Intensely majestic and beautiful is the massive 60 x 90-inch “Svalbard #33,” which presents the viewer with a gorgeous and isolated iceberg. The subject, which features both naturally formed jagged and smooth undulating surfaces, floats stoically, silently, and centrally. The black sky and ocean waters allow the iceberg’s brilliant blues and whites to radiate from the page.
 
“The glisten of meltwater highlights looming mountains of ice, revealing the transience of these formidable yet fragile icebergs,” the gallery continues. “Forman’s monochromatic palette allows for an intense focus on the blues, grays, and whites of water in its ever-shifting states. The work documents places where the effects of climate change are most tangible, and its quiet beauty instills a desire to protect the natural world. Amid important conversations on climate change that too often sway toward pessimism or worse, apathy, Forman presents a poetic and nuanced optimism.”
 
“SLIP” opened on September 10 and will hang through October 17.
 
To learn more, visit Winston Wächter Fine Art.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.