PRIME TIME
November 2016
19
Artist Benjamin Brings Landscapes to Life
(continued from previous page)
other things that kids my age were
painted my first oil painting. It was a
doing.”
landscape.”
He said that when he would go
Interestingly enough, it was
out to play with his four siblings at
Benjamin’s father who provided
the neighborhood park, he had to
unintentional inspiration to his
be content exploring the creek and
wanting to become an artist.
catching frogs.
“I remember my father came home
My world was only in focus about
from work in the middle of the day
six inches away from my face. I
and told my mother that he had
couldn’t see much at all when l as a
lost his job, and he began to cry,”
child. No one knew I was extremely
Benjamin said. “I had never seen
nearsighted until I was about 8 years my father cry before. He was very
old. … I didn’t know I couldn’t see.” sad and I didn’t know exactly why.
What he did know was that six
I wasn’t completely sure what a job
inches from his face he could see,
was or why it was important. I just
draw and make his mother smile.
knew my dad didn’t like losing his
“She always encouraged me and
job. I remember thinking to myself I
she had a strong interest in visual
never wanted that to happen to me.”
arts,” he said. “So she gave me
the oil paint and
supplies I needed
when I was 10 to
get started. I always
knew that every time
I showed a drawing
of mine to my mother
I could count on
getting a loving
hug and a generous
compliment. Being
one of five children
in the family, a hug
was something very
special and very
personal. I would be
“Church in Golden, NM”
10 years old before I
He said he knew work was
important from that day on, and
when he was deciding what he
wanted to do for a living, he asked
himself what he liked to do the most.
“The answer was drawing,” he
said. “I knew if I were an artist I
could make my own work and never
lose my job. If I were an artist I
could tell myself what to do. I would
be my own boss. … I liked to draw
more than anything, because that was
where my world started and ended,
six inches in front of my face.”
50+ EXPO LUCKY WINNER!
“Battle Ship Rock”
Jemez Mountains, NM
Helen Martinez is
the lucky winner of
the giclée donated by
local artist Robert
Benjamin.
Helen’s name was
drawn from several
hundred entries
submitted to win this
beautiful piece of art.
“The Path” was given
away as a raffle prize
at the 2016 Prime
Time 50+ Expo,
the annual senior
health fair held at the
Embassy Suites on
October 6, 2016.
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