Maroon Reflections

Since my first visit to the Maroon Bells 33 years ago, I have been captivated by this beautiful Colorado landmark. A gorgeous lake reflects the iconic bells, which change dramatically depending on the season and time of day. This view was after a late morning hike right before the aspens began to change.

Maroon Reflections | Pastel | 9 x 12 | $350

http://marybenke.com/pastel/

Branching Out

As an artist living in Colorado, I've come to realize how much people like paintings of aspen trees. To the point that landscape artists like me paint a LOT of them. I've done them in pastel, watercolor, and acrylic (on a 5-foot-tall fiberglass heart for my hometown Loveland's city with HeART program as seen here). Here's a new twist for me--a small format oil painting, simply done with chunky brushstrokes. 6x6 oil on Ampersand gessoboard panel.