Artwork
Browse through the collection of paintings by Benjamin Young. Everything from impressionism to realism, from watercolors to oil pastels, from landscape to still life.
Aqua

January 14, 2024
This is a striking monochrome painting that captures a moment of fluid elegance, titled simply Aqua. It depicts a wine glass caught in the midst of a dynamic swirl, with the liquid inside defying gravity in a graceful arc that stretches above the rim. The movement is frozen in time, with the liquid’s surface tension creating an almost sculptural form that reaches upwards. The artist has skillfully represented the play of light and shadow, giving the impression of a sparkling, translucent liquid. The glass’s thin stem and stable base contrast with the liquid’s volatility, providing a sense of balance to the composition. The simplicity of the background ensures all attention is focused on the interaction between the glass and its contents, highlighting the delicate beauty of a fleeting moment that would otherwise be missed.
Drip

January 12, 2024
The Drip painting captures the ephemeral beauty of a single water droplet impacting a still surface. A central column of water rises sharply, surrounded by a crown of droplets reflecting the moment’s dynamic motion. The surface tension creates a series of concentric ripples that emanate outward, masterfully rendered in varying shades of grey, suggesting the gentle yet persistent spread of energy away from the point of impact. The artist has skillfully used a monochromatic palette to depict the clarity and purity of water, with careful attention to the gradations of light and shadow that give the scene a three-dimensional quality. The painting combines precision and softness, immortalizing a fleeting instance of natural harmony.
Watermelon Slice

December 27, 2023
Juicy! A fruity painting that depicts a slice of watermelon. Watermelon Slice is a realistic drawing that captures the vibrant red flesh of the fruit, complete with black seeds scattered throughout. The watermelon slice has a green rind, transitioning from a darker green on the outside to a paler green towards the inner red flesh. The drawing has a textured appearance from the water colored pencils, and there’s a gentle shadow under the slice, giving it a sense of depth and dimension. The background is plain and lightly textured. Hang it up in your summer themed kitchen, like the basic, normal, coffee drinking, white person you are.
AJ's Lily

December 17, 2023
The AJ’s Lily drawing is a pencil drawing that captures the delicate beauty of a lily flower in bloom. The flower stands out with its petals gracefully curving outward, showcasing the fine details of its texture and venation, while the stamens reach out from the center, detailed with care to convey their slender form and powdery pollen tips. Below the flower, the stem leads to a pair of leaves that frame the composition, their pointed tips adding to the overall elegance of the sketch. The artist’s use of shading provides depth, highlighting the organic curves and giving the lily a lifelike appearance. The background is left unadorned, ensuring that all attention remains on the intricacies of the flower and its natural allure.
Empty Models

December 15, 2023
Empty Models is a still life painting featuring a collection of objects arranged on a surface. The composition includes two bottles, one with a dark red cap and the other in green, along with a green jug and a brown bowl. The bottles and jug have a reflective quality suggested by the use of light and dark tones, indicating the presence of light from a specific angle. In it, I employed a textural technique to give the objects a tactile feel. The background and surface on which the items rest are rendered with broad strokes of brown and white, creating a rustic ambiance that complements the simple, everyday nature of the subjects. The color palette is predominantly earthy, with variations of green, brown, and yellow hues, giving the painting a warm and cozy atmosphere. The artwork captures the simple beauty of the objects and the play of light and shadow on their surfaces, including the light cast through their glass.
Okay

December 20, 2022
Okay depicts a human hand, my hand, sketched in pencil with a focus on realism and attention to detail. It is positioned in a relaxed pose, resting to the side of my leg with the fingers slightly curled inward. I have taken care to render the textures and lines on the skin, showing the unique patterns and creases that can be found on a person’s palm and fingers.