Patience Unveiling, oil on panel, 36 x 72"

Artist Jenna von Benedikt is drawn to painting elements of nature, in particular, hummingbirds and Rocky Mountain wildlife and how they connect with the world around them. Her works are devoid of habitats, however, and instead focus on the energy and movement of the creatures to create compositions that allow the viewer to connect more intimately with the animals. The artist’s newest paintings will be available February 12 to 24 at Meyer Gallery in Park City, Utah.

“This is an exciting exhibit for me,” von Benedikt says. “I’ve been showing work for several years in Park City now and considered it ‘home turf’ having lived in Utah the last few years, but this will be my first solo show at Meyer Gallery…Many of the pieces aim to showcase the glory and peace of nature.”Kokaubeam King, oil on panel, 72 x 48"

The canvases continue to show her development of abstraction and metallic layering, which enables her to build atmosphere as well as unite humans and nature. There are subtle linear and geometric elements that have appeared in her work over the past few years—“connections to heaven and earth,” she says—that bring out new shapes and spaces in the compositions. 

“I am particularly pleased with Peaceful Transitions and Patience Unveiling,” the artist says. “I don’t make political art, but some of these themes have naturally reflected feelings of the past year, and I hope that as viewers come, they see and fall into something beautiful, engaging and hopeful. That is what my work is about, what I feel nature gives back.” Peaceful Transitions, oil on panel, 36 x 72"

Ribbon Sky, oil on panel, 42 x 42"

There are also bolder jewel tones in some of her works, such as Ribbon Sky, which is a tribute to her signature subject, the hummingbird. “The coloring often seen in hummingbirds is powerful, sometimes with the entire rainbow on them,” she explains. “They shimmer, they reflect richness, grandeur and tiny touches of magic darting through uninhibited spaces. They reflect the ideals of hope and cheerfulness.”

In her painting Patience Unveiling, she introduces a new subject matter, the tiger, which adds to her growing cast of characters. Many of the pieces, including this one, will combine several creatures—referred to by the artist as “Beasts” and “Birds”—in “a tip of the hat to beautiful, but symbiotic relationships found in nature.” —

Meyer Gallery   305 Main Street • Park City, UT 84060 • (435) 649-8160 • www.meyergallery.com 

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