Fashion Forest

Dresses, shadow, and evergreen shoes, those are the things fashion forest is made of. Dysmorphic beauty abstracted in a simple old-school way. Looking within or looking without, find your own way

Pencil on paper copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Still Life

Oil painting for the first time in Florence, my first two paintings were a black and white still life, as well as color. With so many masterpieces in Europe I could only dream of capturing the staunch realism such as paintings by the Dutch and Flemish masters. Practice makes perfect I guess...personally I’d rather fly by the seat of my pants.

Oil paintings copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

u2s Molecule

The u2s (understanding unacceptable sadness) molecule resides in all sentient beings. Choosing to indulge in afflictive emotions is ever present, however by recognizing the “felt-sense” it is possible to be present in the moment and avoid the emotional ride. Cry without judgement by imagining a color, there is no right or wrong, just different shades of color.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

The Past

Days and nights gone by, finally able to process events long since gone. The smell of a memory, time slowing for a moment to remember the path chosen. The culmination of every decision now comes to fruition. Living in the present is only possible by releasing the past, effortlessly creating a new future.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Susie the Dog

Residing in Chicago, Susie spends her days exploring the city and chasing tennis balls. She is ever content to simply keep her owner’s feet warm and kiss their hand with her sloppy tongue. Vacationing in the mountains we took Susie to an open field meant for cross country skiing and let her paws have their way with the corduroy snow...the grass was added later as wishful thinking on Susie’s part.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Gouache

Derived from the Italian guazzo, gouache is a type of paint consisting of pigment and a binding agent. Also spelled guache, it is designed to be used in an opaque method. Originally a term that applied to an early 16th century practice, guazzo was the practice of applying oil paint over a tempera base, it was used as early as the 14th century in Europe. Not to be confused with gauche...

Gouache on paper copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Finally Freedom Love

I had no fear only curiosity, a dangerous combination. As I looked deep in my pupils the blur around my focus took on many forms. An ancient yogi, a regal face of royalty, all the while I held my gaze on my eyes, not even blinking. Then through my felt-sense there were three figures on the other side of the mirror. I like to refer to them as me, myself and I. Although they were a part of me, they also each distinctively held their own energy. One was mischievous, one had calm wisdom, and one was an innocent. Dependent upon the circumstance one or all could make themselves known.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Exerpt from ROSES by Trevi Bennett

Sunrise

Dark breaks, giving way to light. Shades of sky gradually alter by imperceptible degrees. A pinhole of radiant light pierces the horizon, growing moment by moment, spreading hue and color wherever its rays may hit. Vibrating earth alive and awake.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Sunset

Sparkling refractions of light ricochet off undulating waters. Surrendering to dusky shadows and the pitch of the ever expanding galaxy, falling into moonlight again.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Art in a Jar

DOWN AWAY

Lack dismay

Time blind

Pain traps mind

Behind doors

Ungrateful scores

Seemingly kind

Wait rewind

Unfold defeat mass

Sweet mental cast

Loops bound ahead

Torment fled

Skip back feet

Whip crack fleet

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Poem copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012 RARE BIRD

Sketch

A rapidly executed freehand drawing is an immediate release of emotion and energy. The hand takes over and flows from the infinite through the vessel. Without judgement there is only color, line and form. Sketch the point of action, make it real.

Colored pen on paper copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Afternoon Light

Sweat cools on the chairlift reminding me to seal my layers. Legs weak from too much ambition and powder rest momentarily on a chilly seat. Earphones pump out motivational tunes to keep the mental in check, fervently pressuring the mind to be strong when the muscle fibers fail to fire. Breathing returns to normal. The afternoon light touches my wind whipped face and reminds me to close my eyes and enjoy this moment.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Visible Horizon

The intersection of earth and sky is called the visible horizon. Often times I look to the horizon as if it held the future. The word horizon derives from the Greek "ὁρίζων κύκλος" (horizōn kyklos), "separating circle", from the verb "ὁρίζω" (horizō), "to divide, to separate", and that from "ὅρος" (oros), "boundary, landmark". Observing boundaries I hope to see the light on the horizon.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Sickly Sweet

SMELL DELUSION

Unwary unwilling unable

Extricate illusion unstable

Remembering redundancies

Recalling favors

Hoping hypocrisy hollow

Fear fading

Frantically follow

Hard hurting self hindrances

Ink on paper copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Poem copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012 RARE BIRD

Green Eggs and Hills

Green Eggs and Ham was one of Suess’s beginner books. The vocabulary of the text consists of just fifty different words and was the result of a bet between Seuss and Bennett Cerf (Dr. Seuss's publisher) that Seuss (after completing The Cat in the Hat using 225 words) could not complete an entire book using so few words. The 50 are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.

Ink on paper copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Silhouette

Sleep outdoors under the stars, or enjoy the comforts of architecture. We are a product of our surroundings and influenced by our environment. Accustomed to our comfort zone, it’s beneficial to step out of the norm and into the unimaginable world, manifesting something new. You can visit another place right now, if only in this blog...

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Early

According to certain Euclidean space perceptions the universe has three dimensions of space (length, width, height) and one dimension of time. In physics, spacetime is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single continuum. By combining space and time into a single manifold, physicists have significantly simplified a large number of physical theories, as well as described in a more uniform way the workings of the universe at both the supergalactic and subatomic levels. Although the fifth dimension is a hypothetical extra dimension, the Kaluza-Klein theory uses the fifth dimension to unify gravity with the electromagnetic force.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Bush-alo

Layer paint, work that brushstroke, rinse, repeat. Allow the landscape to emerge effortlessly, effectively painting through me. Line takes on form and creates vibration, the deafening hum of the desert. The more I layer the more I uncover. Creativity originating from the unseen lock, realize that we all have the key.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

My Greatest Creation

Life is the spark of infinite potential, knowing we know nothing. Hesitant to add to the burgeoning population the conversation had been beaten to death, “should we have a baby?” With no logical reason to procreate I was resigned to childhood dreams of being a mommy. After all, I heard only complaints from parents about their children, why should I be bothered? Since giving birth to my son last year I have to admit my world is a billion times more rich than I ever could’ve imagined. I re-learned how to feel again, I mean really feel the weight of existence for all it’s worth. The joy of experiencing a new life is positively immeasurable and I would recommend it to all those that love to laugh.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Nitelite

Think blurred lines and impressionistic coloring, let go of all control. Relax my brush stroke and experiment with a limited cool tone palette, seriously let it go. Flow into unexplored territory without a paddle and release fear of the unknown, letting go now. Step onto the invisible bridge and trust falling will land me in an improved circumstance, there is nothing to hold onto.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett

Coastering

With cars like taxi cabs, the ride is themed to a New York subway station (New York New York in Las Vegas Nevada). Having a past reputation for being a painful roller coaster some riders have gotten bruised on the shoulders from the old trains due to the roughness of the ride and negative G-force. The ride begins with a 180-foot (55 m) lift and a 76-foot (23 m) drop, followed by a hill and a 144-foot (44 m) drop. the train then traverses two inversions, a standard vertical loop and a dive loop (twist & dive element), where the train performs a 180 degree spiral and then performs a half-loop maneuver. This element is found on only one other coaster: the “Mega Coaster” at Hamanako Pal Pal Park in Japan.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Sunshine

Impressions of a moment in time recalled through color and line. Life giving warmth, a whispering breeze rearranging grass blades and whipping ripples on the water. Spring buds blooming in a field of green, awaiting the next rainstorm, the sound of the Earth chirps loudly with a buzz creating pixels for all to enjoy.

Colored pen on paper copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Looking Down

Fall out drop in

Ground or float

Stream flowing uncontrolled

River feels no pain

Drops trillions of rain

Hitting currents

Stuck between trapped

Moments burn

Eyes sensation

Holding back

Encourage delusion

Sew love

Fall the drop

Rock under water

Preview or Purchase RARE BIRD by Trevi Bennett

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Sleepscape

The earliest recorded dream interpretations date back approximately 5000 years, in Mesopotamia, where they were documented on clay tablets. Dreams were historically used for healing as well as for guidance or divine inspiration. Some Native American tribes used vision quests as a rite of passage, fasting and praying until an anticipated guiding dream was received, to be shared with the rest of the tribe upon their return. Lucid dreaming is the conscious perception of one’s state while dreaming. In this state the dreamer may often have some degree of control over their own actions within the dream or even the characters and the environment of the dream. If you’re not controlling your dreams who is?

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Quintana Roo

Once a fisherman’s island surrounded by virgin forest and unknown shores, Cancun is now one of the two most renowned Mexican resorts, along with Acapulco. Based on the Mayan pronunciation Cancun has a few possible translations, “nest of snakes” or “place of the golden snake” also “Place/Seat/Throne of the Snake” and “Enchanted Snake.”

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

EMP Museum

EMP is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry designed building that includes multiple innovative galleries, an interactive Sound Lab, and Sky Church --- a concert venue with state-of-the-art sound and lighting that houses the largest indoor LED screen in the world. EMP celebrates the creative process, engages the imagination, and inspires personal expression in current and future generations. EMP is a leading-edge, non-profit museum, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture. Since opening its doors in 2000, EMP Museum has welcomed more than five million visitors.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Monotype

Layers of ink, highlighted brushstrokes, transfer techniques and cut velum paper create movement in this piece. The monotype process was invented by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (1609-64), an Italian painter and etcher. Monotyping produces a unique print where most of the ink is removed during the initial pressing. Subsequent reprintings are possible and are called “ghost prints.”

Monotype copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

First Model

As motorinos sped past my apartment on Via dei Fossi, heard buzzing from a good three miles away, I hurried to gather myself for my first day of painting classes. Neither my roommates nor I had a clue where the school was located and after many slaughtered words we finally found ourselves on the correct cobbled side street. I arrived just in time to catch our nude model for the day disrobing, ready to brave the cold tile floor for the sake of learning. Brush in hand, flesh tone was my challenge.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Potential

Intricately linked reflections rising and falling. Realize we are all connected at the source. A tiny speck of Bodhicitta exists within each of us, the spark of infinite potential. Bodhicitta may be translated as “awakening mind” or “mind of enlightenment”. Bringing happiness to all sentient beings, and relieving them of suffering, Bodhicitta is the union of compassion and wisdom.

Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Rainbow Glow

The misting rains of Kauai create an incredibly lush environment. Known as the ‘Garden Isle’ it is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands at approximately six million years old. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual rainfall of 460 inches (1,200 cm), is located on the east side of Mount Wai’ale’ale. This rainbow brought a warming glow to all of Anahola.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Mana

Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. After stepping into a well known vortex in Wainiha (literal translation “un-friendly water”) on the North Shore of Kauai, I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to channel Mana. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian. In anthropological discourse, mana as a generalized concept is often understood as a precursor to formal religion. It has commonly been interpreted as “the stuff of which magic is formed,” as well as the substance of which souls are made.
Oil painting copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012

Madame Tussauds

Marie Tussaud, born Anna Maria Grosholtz (1761-1850) in Strasbourg, France, created her first wax figure of Voltaire in 1777. Madame Tussauds wax museum has now grown to become a major tourist attraction in London with branches in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Berlin,  Blackpool, Dubai, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Las Vegas, New York City, Shanghai, Sydney, Vienna and Washington, D.C. This photo of Stevie Wonder’s wax representation was taken in Las Vegas, frequency adjustments courtesy of Jero.

Photograph copyright (c) Trevi Bennett 2012