Mary Benke
213A E 4th Street

Pastels and Watercolors

www.marybenke.com

Artist Mary Benke strives for a loose, impressionistic feeling in her landscapes, cityscapes and portrayals of wildlife and people. She combines her creative use of texture, color and design to evoke emotion and a strong sense of imagery in her paintings. She is drawn to the luminosity of watercolor and the vibrant textures of pastel, and paints in both media depending on the subject. She also enjoys the challenges and rewards of plein air painting and mixed media, and hopes to progress into more abstract work.

She enjoys the Colorado outdoors as well as her travels to such places as Scotland, Ireland, Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico, and finds inspirations in all locales.

Her passion for art began in high school and college. She earned degrees in journalism and English at the University of Southern California, while also taking painting and drawing classes. After working as a magazine editor and graphic designer for over 20 years, she rediscovered fine art through watercolor and pastel classes and workshops. She continues to take classes and workshops. Benke is represented by the Lincoln Gallery in Loveland, CO, and Art on a Whim gallery in Breckenridge, CO. Her award-winning work has been juried into numerous national and local art exhibitions, including the Artist Association of Northern Colorado National Exhibition and Sale, and the Western Spirit National Art Show. She is a signature member of the Pastel Society of Colorado. You are invited to visit her website at www.marybenke.com.