#benjialexanderpalus

[benji-a-palus]

Morning Ritual, 36x24in, oil on canvas. I’ve always enjoyed the calm of this one. I miss those mornings; before I owned a cell phone or a computer. I didn’t break down and get either until 2010. I certainly read a lot more! I still haven’t had cable since 1992, although I do cheat with Netflix, lol... #beforetheinternet #quietmornings #утром #oilpainting #figurativeart #figurativerealism #hyperrealism #realism #morningcoffee #artcollective #artcollector #instaart #fineartconnoisseurmagazine #drawinganatomyandart #creativeuprising #coffeeandcrosswords #morningritual #muse #benjialexanderpalus (at New Orleans, Louisiana)

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Winter Warmth, 24x36in, oil on canvas. This painting from 2000 is a milestone for me. It’s very changed from the reference that I used, so that I really had to put a lot of thought into each detail. In essence, this piece taught me how to do that; how to think about a painting. It’s far from a masterpiece, but it was enough to keep me encouraged and on the path. #painting #oilpainting #earlywork #fromthevault #figurativeart #figurativerealism #realism #muse #firelight #winterwarmth #loft #benjialexanderpalus

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Cindy and the River, no. 2, 48x36in, oil on canvas. Available! I can’t believe this painting is only twelve years old. Somehow it feels like it’s been so much longer. I’ll always have a soft spot for it - this was my first attempt to paint the surface of water. Plus, it’s near the spot where I almost died swimming across the Monongahela River and back on a drunken bet, lol...oh, foolish youth! #oilpainting #portraitofagirl #riverside #blonde #figurativepainting #realism #fadedjeans #artcollector #artcollective #instaart #benjialexanderpalus (at Monongahela River)

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Merry Christmas, 48x36in, oil on canvas. Christmas in July! 😃🎄 #oilpainting #oiloncanvas #theguideartists #beautifulbizarre #figurativeart #realism #contemporaryart #motherandchild #christmasinjuly #moodlights #muse #benjialexanderpalus

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Brand New Mommy, 24x36in, oil on canvas. Available! This will always be one of my favorite works. I use only close friends as my models so all my paintings are personal and an emotional journey to work on, but this one of @goosejail was easily the most so - the day she became a mother. #motherhood #brandnewmommy #oilpainting #figurativeart #figurativerealism #realism #magicalmoment #connection #artcollector #artcollective #jobwelldone #theguideartists #serenity #beautiful #muse #benjialexanderpalus

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Her Truth of Self, 48x36in, oil on canvas. Available! I usually steer away from cryptic titles, preferring something straightforward or fun or clever (if I can think of one), but the deeply personal nature of this painting demanded an obscure title. 🙂 #paint #oilpainting #pale #figurativeartist #figurativerealism #portraitofasoul #whiteskin #artcollector #artcollective #beautifulbizarre #creativeuprising #bluereview #theguideartists #bluehairdontcare #nudeart #muse #benjialexanderpalus

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The Lioness, no. 1, 24x36in, oil on canvas. This piece represents a troubled time as I struggled with it, and with whether I could be what I wanted as an artist. For two years I failed with it, failed to get it right, failed to work on it at all for long stretches of self doubt. But I kept coming back to it, refusing to start anything new until I got it right. And when I finally did, I sat and wept with relief. I was a figurative realism artist, what I still feel is the peak of artistic discipline. Lots of failures and successes have followed in the past fifteen years, but this is the one that will always encourage me to keep at it. #turningpoint #oilpainting #figurativerealism #realism #figurativeart #lioness #earlywork #summerheat #bluehairdontcare #beautifulmuse #grateful #benjialexanderpalus

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Can’t Wait to Meet You, 36x24in, oil on canvas. #cropped #details #beads #pregnancy #pregnant #mothertobe #mommyhood #divinefeminine #babybelly #painting #portraitpainting #figurativeart #figurativerealism #realism #contemporaryrealism #instaart #artcollector #artcollective #fgartcollective #muse #benjialexanderpalus