Today, we’d like to introduce you to Alex Benitez.
Hi Alex, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started drawing and painting when I was around nine years old, copying cartoon characters and sometimes creating my own, yet never really thought of pursuing a career in art.
Bouncing around different majors and a not-so-stellar academic path, I followed the advice of my dad and ended with a BA in Fine Arts and a minor in Marketing. Nonetheless, after experimenting with advertising design (I didn’t like it), I spent 15 years working for several multinational consumer product companies in marketing – lucrative, fun, and I learned a lot, but it was not fulfilling. Finally (at 38!), and to the dismay of many peers and friends, I decided to leave my career and dedicate myself to my true passion – Art. My style (tricky subject) has been best described as a mix of neo-pop and cartoon abstraction, whose intense brushstrokes and vivid colors shape whimsical faces and figures.
My paintings come to life to my paintings at my home basement studio in Baltimore. I have sold over 500 works of art, including in galleries in Miami, New York, Baltimore, Cincinnati, San Juan, and Key West – and one piece is in the permanent collection of the Taubman Museum at Virginia Tech University. Participating in over 30 solo and group shows, including Art Expo in New York, Artscape in Baltimore, and Art Basel in Miami, has been an exhilarating experience. I have met countless wonderful people and fellow artists who have influenced me and my art immensely.
Some of my great joys are working with interior designers, architects, and developers and having my artwork placed in several residential & commercial projects. Painting special family portraits is another type of project that is greatly rewarding and fun to do.
I am very grateful for what life has given me, so helping the community by sharing my love and skill for art has given me a way to give back. I started teaching Art Therapy at several facilities in the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and did it for nine years. It was a phenomenal yet emotionally charged experience that I will cherish forever.
I have been working with the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore for over six years and have donated many of my paintings to adorn their beautiful facility. We also did a project together where I designed the graphic wraps for two of their shuttles and donated several paintings that have sold at auctions in support of their amazing work.
Another great cause I lend a hand to is the GBMC Hospital SAFE & DV Program, which provides compassionate and confidential medical, forensic, and crisis counseling to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Child Abuse victims.
Recently, I started collaborating with Share Baby, a non-profit that seeks to address the unmet basic needs of Baltimore’s most vulnerable young children through the distribution of diapers and other essential items.
And here I am, 55 years old and still living the wonders and struggles of being an artist… I couldn’t be happier!
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
“Smooth” is a relative term. Almost by definition, life is not really smooth – at least not always. College was a bumpy road for me, and finding my way was always convoluted. Then, my time in the corporate world proved to be what I needed at the time, it was very interesting, and I learned a lot while making a good living.
I was young and felt like I had my whole life ahead of me, always focused on the next promotion or on buying that new shiny thing. But the corporate world is crazy competitive, and it’s a grind. Bad bosses. Jealousy. Injustice. The eternal feeling of constraint and loss of your independence and ownership over your own time.
As I launched myself into my new art career, things took a bit to get going, but soon I started to see rewards. Then, the 2008 financial collapse came, and we were back to square one. I lost two properties, got divorced, art sales were non-existent, and I was left asking myself, “How am I going to get back to normal?”. I was 40 years old, divorced, no kids.
Then, I met my current wife, who had a beautiful daughter, and they both served as my guiding light and inspiration. A career as an artist is definitely not an easy one, but the challenges and learning it provides serve as an incentive to work harder. Showing your art to other people is very personal to the artist. So you quickly learn not to take things personally and to also approach your passion as a business in order to make it easier to manage and profitable. By the way, creative block is VERY real.
My advice to young artists is to #1 make sure this is what they really want to do, #2 understand that it’s not all glamour and fun times, #3 you need to approach it as a business, #4 it’s highly rewarding both emotionally and financially if done right #5 never give up, be patient and no matter how bad things get, there is always a new day coming up that will give you hope that good things.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
I work mainly with acrylics on canvas, paper, and wood. My work is a mix of neo-pop and figurative abstraction. I also do digital drawings and illustrations on my iPad.
I am proud of all my work (even if I don’t particularly like certain pieces). I try to give each work its value and praise myself not for its beauty or lack thereof but for the work and effort I put into it.
Being set “apart from others” is a tricky question because I believe all artists, at some point or another, are influenced by other past and present artists that they like or admire. That is certainly the case with me, being influenced by the likes of Picasso, Miro, Chagall, Basquiat, and Peter Max – so many existing artists inspire me as well.
I guess the colors and playfulness of my images could be. Also, when I use liquid acrylic in bottles to draw my black lines on canvas, it could be another.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I can’t paint without music! I listen to softer classical music in the mornings, move on to jazz/bossa nova in the afternoon, and when I paint at night, I use lofi. I also have a playlist with my favorite songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s.
I follow many artists and creators on YouTube, like Jazza, Gawx, ErgoJosh, Proko, and Peter McKinnon, who inspire me. For drawing on my iPad, I use the app Procreate. I always enjoy going back to plain old paper and pencil to work on some doodles and sketches.
I have a collection of art books with all my favorite artists. Even with the practicality of the internet, it’s nice to browse actual hard-cover books when looking for inspiration and learning about how old masters approached art and browsing their works.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alexbenitezart.com
- Instagram: @alexbenitezart
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartofalexbenitez
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theartofalexbenitez
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/ARTwithAlexMaia
- Other: https://linktr.ee/alexbenitezart
