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Like Maria VanTraap, Lynn Benevento
believes in climbing every mountain. Not only the physical ones,
which are the subjects for many of her acrylic paintings, but also the
mountains of adversity that she overcame to become one of the
Adirondack region’s premier artists.
Some of
this adversity came from finding time to paint during her busy family
life. To entertain her two sons, Michael and Giani as children,
she would often paint them pictures of dinosaurs. From these humble
beginnings, she discovered a natural ability and enjoyment in creating
art. Although she had never taken an art class in her life, she was
soon using her talents professionally.
Benevento began
her artistic career working on designs for wedding candles and later
moved on to designing magnets, which she sold at regional arts shows
ranging from LARAC’s own June Festival to the Adirondack Balloon
Festival. It was at the annual Adirondack Balloon Festival that
Benevento made her first big splash, when one of her paintings
sold for enough money to encourage her to leave magnets and candles
behind and concentrate on her acrylic paintings. Her work was met by
much acclaim by such celebrities as Rocky Aoki, tycoon and owner of
the internationally successful chain of Benihana restaurants and a
crewmember of the first hot-air balloon to cross the Pacific.
Governor Pataki also owns a Benevento painting of wildflowers, which
was presented to him as a gift from Warren County.
The subjects of
Benevento’s work include barns, train stations, flowers, and other
outdoor scenes, but she is perhaps best known for her depiction of
vast mountain vistas. Like all successful artists, Benevento
maintains a strong connection with her art. She has climbed 41 of the
46 “High Peaks” in the Adirondacks with her family, and the
near-photographic quality of her work is largely due to the fact that
she has been to all of the places she painted, and took several
photographs to use as reference.
Lynn's work can be found at her gallery at 4 Bridge Street, Lake Luzerne,
in LARAC’s June Arts Festival, or on her website,
www.Lynnbenevento.com. |
