Dali is known for his dream like paintings, Van Gogh, for his whimsical use of color and brush stroke, Picasso, for his broken imagery. Gina Bentivegna's art has it’s own dark and unique aspects that are her own personal signature. Every artist holds true to a particular idea or subject matter, and this is what captivates and draws the viewer into digging deeper. The further you look into the mind of a creative, the more you can truly understand the thought process behind the paint on canvas. Her name is Gina Bentivegna, and for her entire life she has pursued her passion for creating works of art. Before she was able to read, her parents enrolled her in art classes at a church near her home in New Jersey. Gina's love for art was appreciated and supported by her parents. A daughter to a family supported by a working musician father, creativity was to be nurtured and encouraged. She was later enrolled in a school for the arts in New York State when she reached the third grade. She quickly learned how to mix paint and hold a brush properly; lessons she would never forget. Art was always a constant throughout Gina's childhood and early adolescent years. She coped with a bad break up with paint and some small wiry brushes. Says Gina, "I dealt with an argument with my parents by locking myself in my bedroom and drawing my hands or feet. This may sound strange, but the relaxation and concentration on the details always soothed me, and the frustration would always melt away. My outlet for creating is truly the best punching bag for life’s little curve balls."

The dream of Gina's to paint and create dominated her years in high school, as she found herself hungry for as many art classes and art related after school activities as she could find. Soon after she followed her dream to college at Florida Atlantic University, where she pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts. There, she really learned how to push her work with long hours in the studio, sometimes late into the early morning hours. Deadlines, harsh critiques, and that satisfaction of getting the grade she wanted after hours of work. This training helped drive Gina's art into what it has become today. "I left my fear of what anyone might think at the door. I toughened my skin to deter any negative feedback, because frankly, this is what I love, and negative opinions did not matter anymore."

In recent times she has thrown herself face first into the local art scene. She loves to setting up her canvas and painting live at local clubs and nightspots. The thrill of painting while music is playing and people are gathering around the canvas brings Gina a rush which cannot be described. In the last few years she has been lucky enough to work with Electric Canvas, a charity show benefiting the cystic fibrosis foundation, with events at Propaganda in Lake Worth, Murphy’s in Boca, and Crazy8s in Ft. Lauderdale. Galleries such as ActivistaArtista in Boynton, and IwanToBeTheBubble in Ft. Lauderdale have featured Gina's work. Recently she has been a frequent artist at WeMerge Magazine events in Miami’s Kitchen 305, Stage84 in Davie for the Renda Writer Variety Show, and Invi & Kris Starry party at Kevro’s Art Bar in Delray Beach. She has been honored to be a part of Art Nouveau Events, which host events at Respectable Street Café in West Palm. Often a regular artist at the GREEN ROOM in downtown Ft. Lauderdale on Saturdays, Gina's work can be seen regularly at the Executive Edge Salon in Boca. Her regular gig is at DaDa in Delray Beach the first Sunday of every month for Invoke The Arts.

Overall, Gina's work has echoes of her heroes. There are references to the pop art of Andy Warhol, dark and dreary ravens, homage to her favorite poet Edgar Allen Poe, a fascination with anatomy from all her studies on the great Italian masters such as Michelangelo, and even a shout out to her favorite post impressionist Vincent Van Gogh. Gina credits and owes all of her inspiration and appreciation to the greats that paved the way.

Click On Image To View Larger Images Of Some Of Some Of Gina's Art
My Silence	She's the Blade	In Bloom	Sharp Toothed Grin	Davy Jones	We Were Lions

With all of these wonderful teachers and inspirational masters, Gina explains that overall, her work lines up most commonly with the impressionist painters. She believes that an artist should leave his or her mark on the physical canvas. Brush strokes define the thought processes and inner working of creativity. Any person can sit and smooth out the surface of a portrait to mimic that of a camera lens, but in the end a camera can do it better. Gina elaborates, "I believe in the human element of creating and that is why my brush stroke and finger smears of paint are my signature. No one else can make that exact fingerprint into a canvas and that is what I find to be the most amazing and personal element in making art. Paintings are windows into the mind’s eye, and only the storyteller, or artist can tell or paint that image for the viewer, so why not make it memorable and interesting?"

To learn more about Gina and her art check out www.ginabentivegna.com or Email: GINA@GINABENTIVEGNA.COM

Work Available For Purchase At http://www.etsy.com/shop/FromGinaWithLove
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