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By: Joanne Hobbs
It was Joseph Campbell who said “Follow
Your Bliss” if you want to thrive and enjoy your life. For
visual artists like Christine Benjamin, that bliss is undeniably
connected to a creative process that has called her forward since
she was a child. Her paintings and illustrations of alternate realities
populated with a myriad of whimsical characters reflects her command
of the energy that creates worlds and is a powerful reflection of
her essential identity.
“I have a family that I love dearly, but
my art and my family are equal priorities, “Christine admits.
“Art is who I am and I think about it all the time—always
have. I am never without a sketch book to catch ideas as they present
themselves.”
Christine’s fascination with characters
revealed itself at the age of six when she started sketching figures
from monster and science fiction movies and cartoons as well as
making up her own characters. She also remembers being fascinated
with miniature toys and dolls, frequent gifts from her uncle when
he visited.
From creatures with personalities and attitudes
she moved organically into creating their environment and situations
that let them express the full range of human emotions. Often working
late at night to shift from the left brain daylight consciousness
to a state of being where she can easily access the twilight imagery
offered by her right brain, Christine works intuitively, often beginning
with a character sketch and turning it into a painted image. As
she transforms the image, another part of her is listening for the
story that wants to be told. With a bright rich palette that unifies
her entire body of work, her characters typically take on a life
of their own as they interact with each other and their surroundings.
“I also like to add some mystery to each
painting to engage the viewer’s imagination. I want people
to be active viewers of my art and project themselves into it so
it becomes a part of their story,” shared Christine.
A friend of Christine has one of her paintings
in her breakfast room featuring a sock monkey called Chico. It’s
called “My Tea Party with Chico” and it elicits a lot
of stories. Whenever her friend entertains, her guests always have
something to say about what it means to them. Other characters from
Christine’s universe that invite viewer participation include
robots, one-eyed monsters, skeletons and oddball people with oversized
eyes and angular bodies.
A graphic design and illustration degree from
San Jose State University added more skills to her drawing and painting
talents. In fact she incorporates her characters into her illustrations
and design, working for several design studios before setting out
to do freelance illustration for such companies as Yahoo!, Hitatchi,
Hasbro, Addison-Wesley and Apple.
Her illustrations and designs have also appeared
on products for children such as posters, books and clothing. One
of her favorite assignments was for Hasbro. She was hired to sculpt
circus characters from clay which were then photographed and used
in a children’s book.
“I would like to do my own books eventually,”
shared Christine. “I have the characters in mind and the story
line so it is just a matter of time. “
Along with illustration Christine is currently
focusing on painting and has had solo and group shows in the bay
area including San Francisco, L.A. and San Diego She is also doing
commissioned paintings for display in homes and restaurants, was
the first place winner in the Heart of Chaos chalk art event at
Camden Community Center and also placed first in Uproar with her
painting “Another Day in the Big City.”
To read a terrific article on Christine
Benjamin in the Willow Glen Resident, go to:
http://www.community-newspapers.com/archives/wgresident/20071130/community1.shtml
And to see more of her work visit her website at: cbillustration.squarespace.com.
Christine can be reached at: christineben@sbcglobal.net or
in her studio at
408.292.5818.
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