The artwork of Jenna von Benedikt is like a dream. Her dazzling paintings of flighty hummingbirds, light-footed foxes and other woodland creatures like elk, wolves and bears make you feel as though you’ve been whisked away to a fairy tale world. That spell is one of charm, of warm feelings and a magnetic connection to the natural world. The paintings are simplistic yet bold, featuring beasts in front of mesmerizing abstract backdrops of sparkling stars, dripping pigment and sometimes nearly white backgrounds, putting the animal center stage. While every painting presents us with something different to behold, each one transports us to a place of whimsy and childlike wonder.
Universal, oil, 24 x 18" and A Night in Spring, oil, 21 x 7"
“I often think about the ties we have to the earth and the skies, or heavens, and how both beauty and rawness is so much within ourselves. In literature, animals are often used as messengers, prompting the question: What kind of beauty or message do we give back to those around us—do we create uplifting environments?” says von Benedikt.
The artist, who currently resides in the Rocky Mountains of Utah, has a solo exhibition at Cole Gallery in Edmonds, Washington, from June 18 to July 31. The show, titled Nature’s Spirit, will feature her Sainted Birds series of hummingbirds and other paintings that reflect her unique approach to wildlife. “Using abstraction juxtaposed with realism, Jenna crosses from traditional to contemporary in each of her oil paintings,” says gallery owner Denise Cole. “Since bringing Jenna to the gallery in Autumn of 2019, she has become one of the most in-demand painters in the Cole Gallery lineup.”
Connected to Nature, oil, 36 x 36"
Industrial Jungle, oil, 24 x 20"
Connected to Nature is beautiful in its symmetry. Two hummingbirds in midflight, mirror images of one another, face a gold ring in the center of the composition. “Inspiration for the show is based on ‘finding our connection back to nature’ by uplifting the human soul through bold, gem-like colors found in the small and awe-inspiring creatures of the wild,” von Benedikt says. In Universal, a stag stands under a starry sky as shades of blue—more vivid at the top of the composition—gradually fade into beige. A Night in Spring features sharp contrasts between pigments, with a red-breasted bird perched on a branch beneath what appears to be a rockface that has seemingly melded with the night sky.
“As one meaning of Jenna is ‘little bird,’” says von Benedikt, “I paint birds in a ‘nontraditional’ self-portrait series, asking if I’m more connected to an industrial world, or do I pause long enough to appreciate the creation around me and share its beauty.” —
Cole Gallery
107 5th Avenue South • Edmonds, WA 98020
(425) 697-2787 • www.colegallery.net
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