Picnic With Sunflowers Original Still Life Oil Painting by David Beynon Pena

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Description

In this still life, a vase of sunflowers is set amidst a rumpled blanket, an askew basket, and a single … Read more In this still life, a vase of sunflowers is set amidst a rumpled blanket, an askew basket, and a single apple. Is this the beginning of preparations for a picnic, or the scattered remnants of one? In either case, the result is quirky and fun, with a sense of casual warmth and ease. The paint is thick - the artist employs his signature technique of raising petals from canvas with thick brushstrokes - and the textural grit brings every item to life.

Falling into the American classical and impressionist genres, this painting becomes more complex and rich with each viewing and brings vibrant life and joy into any room.


Artist Bio:
David Beynon Pena (b. 1958) was an American painter and native New Yorker who began his career painting portraits after watching Everett Raymond Kinstler demonstrate portrait painting at the National Academy. David went on to paint portraits of many distinguished leaders including U.S. Senator Howell Heflin, actor Sean Connery, dancer Gregory Hines, and Ruth Reininghaus Smith - the first woman president of the Salmagundi Club. He also painted portraits for the Hollywood films Good Will Hunting and The Preacher's Wife.

Apart from portraits, David was known for his still lifes, as well as evocative cityscapes and nudes. He also painted landscapes and seascapes alla prima in oil and watercolor in Maine at Wooster Cove on North Haven and on Leadbetter Island, where he spent summers with his wife Alison. He typically produced two or three paintings a day, always following the light in the style of John Singer Sargent. His interiors have been compared to those of Fairfield Porter, and only a handful of those paintings remain available to the public.

David painted boldly and quickly, easily capturing the venue, likenesses and mood of his surroundings. Known for being gregarious and asking questions as he worked, he occasionally encouraged a curious child to paint a few blades of grass on his paintings.

David started painting at age 11, receiving his training at the High School of Art and Design, The Pratt Institute, the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts, where he eventually became an adjunct faculty member. A brilliant teacher, David was known for his ability to explain complex ideas in accessible ways, for his portrait and landscape demonstrations, and for his participation in multiple juried shows for art associations in the Tri-state area. During his lifetime, he received over 50 national and regional awards, and served as President of the Audubon Artists Incorporated, among many other distinguished art institutions.

David read art books voraciously and was a lifelong, dedicated student of his craft. When he passed away in 2016, David had almost finished an art instruction book, Painting Portraits with a Bold Brush, to be published posthumously. See less