Milbie Benge

Milbie will be painting a Texas landscape at the River Bend Fine Art Gallery each Saturday in March from noon to 5 p.m., talking informally about her work and the work of others who have inspired her. Come see what favorite work she will bring from her own fine art collection, which images she will share from art history, and her favorite books. We hope you will join us each weekend to watch her painting’s progress and to spend time with this gracious and talented artist! This is a come and go event, there is no charge!

Acclaimed for her captivating country landscapes, Milbie Benge's work has been called "romantic realism" as her ability to softly convey the beauty of nature evokes a true sense of place. Benge's work reveals her interest and ease in the natural world. From the mirrored surface of a river at sunrise, to leafy country lanes and fields sparkling with wildflowers, Benge's paintings capture a single serene moment in time, evoking the peaceful pace of the outdoors.

Her wide and accurate knowledge of the rural countryside, especially in Texas, Colorado, Arizona and her native California, gives her an unusual sweep of view. Most noted for her signature "halos of light," Benge's talent for depicting the effects of sunlight and moonlight speak of a subtle sense of mystery. Her atmospheres are often laden with mist, giving a sense of the refreshing quality of early spring, that seasonal touch that is always present in her landscapes.

The daughter of a Baptist minister, Benge became fascinated with drawing at a young age. Her father and several high school art teachers eagerly encouraged her artistic development. Born in a migratory camp hospital near Sacramento, California, Benge became very familiar with rural scenes as she traveled often from town to town in California and Texas because of her father's missionary work. As a young adult, her passion for the rural landscape continued to grow. She traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and the Far East, studying and painting country landscapes, from English cottages and rose gardens to weathered Kentucky barns and ancient fence posts.

Her work has gained a wide following of collectors in the U.S. and Europe, including Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Resident of Austin, Texas since 1968, Benge has taught numerous painting workshops in Texas. Summer months Benge is in residence at her studio in Raton, New Mexico.