Painting – Benedicte Gele Equine Art

Category: Painting

Oct

Bananas!! 🍌

Long story short… first it was a private joke with one of my best friends. Then it became a challenge to put them in the matter.

I’ve so much enjoyed doing bananas that I’ve made 4 paintings!

Bananas are very different from horses (really 😏🙄?). They could seem easy to do, just one line (the outline) and some yellow and… done!! Horses are quite the opposite: a ton of lines and colors.

But what is simple can hide something complex.

I was surprised to discover that I was able to paint bananas and that the result really enjoyed me!

That how has come up 4 paintings of bananas (Visible on this gallery). 3 of them are sold. Remains just 1 (Available on my Etsy shop), the first with which all started…

Oct

Painting from Detaille

I’ve made this painting in 2009 from a painting of Jean Edouard Detaille. I still have it in my studio.

At that time I loved very (very) expressive attitudes and this one matched well that desire.

At my age (not that old 😬), I think I’m much more in the subtlety of the feelings, not anymore in the obvious ones. Even if I love them anyway.

Did you see that one ear and tail was there 🥳 ?

*** painting on paper stretched on a wood frame, 80×80 cm

Oct

Ears or Not Ears?

This thing about ears that seem to miss for some people. While for others, they even noticed that they don’t appear.

It fascinates me.

It was at first an unconscious choice as if intuitively I knew that ears don’t do everything.

Finally, little by little, it was a real choice from me. I think that ears are too obvious for equestrian people, I don’t want them to be focused on them too much. I want them to be able to really feel what the horse sends back to them as a sensation. Because that feeling can change from one day to another.

Sometimes, the horse will be serene, other times, he’ll be curious or a bit intrigued. If I would have painted the ears, there wouldn’t be this infinite possibility.

The last thing is that the central point in my portraits is the eyes. I want the focus to be on the eyes. They tell so much.

🙉 The question for you is: is this horse doesn’t allow you to feel something, even without ears?

🌙 this painting is available on my etsy shop
⭐️ painting on canvas, 50×50 cm

Sep

Shadow & Light

Each one has its own shadow part no matter if it’s a good or a bad one. That’s even not the question. It’s just here.

It’s a part of us that we often don’t like very much, don’t want to reveal or we want to keep it secret like a gem or because we have a shame on it.

Whatever it is, it’s here, inside of us and we have to cherish it, love it and with gratefulness as well as the light part.

The light part is often the easiest to talk about. In our head, it sounds more positive.

But we also forget that light doesn’t come without shadow, like the day without the night. The most important thing for me is to be aware of both to be complete.

🌓 « The Shadow Part », painting on canvas, 80×60 cm
👉 available on my website here

Sep

Powerful Expression

From the Eloquent Collection, it remains this painting. The biggest one.

I’m so grateful to those who have found in my horses this little something that we have trouble to really explain. Something related to a deep call, which looks like an instinctive or subtle connection or an expression we already met, a horse we recognize.

Whatever it could be, it’s strong, powerful and you love it in one sight.
It sparkles in the belly, it opens in the heart who beats stronger.

The power of art.

Sep

Demo Painting Video

I did it!!
Yes I added the video of the drawing demo made with the charcoal powder. Good things come to those who wait for, don’t they? 😬

You can find it in full on my Youtube Channel here.

Hope you’ll like it. And most of all, that it will inspire you! Feel free to show me your drawings!

The original drawing is available here on my website.

Sep

Colors

For me, color is a path.

While drawing is quite natural. I barely think when I draw lines. Colors ask me to use my brain. And I don’t like using my brain when I paint.

That’s probably why my palette is enriched slowly from year to year.

I considered myself more a drawer than a painter. As I don’t like labels we can put on ourselves, it’s not set in stone. I evolve, I’m curious, I love colors so I try, I experiment and finally I use colors as I love to use them: with joy & by playing with them!

If for now, I didn’t use purple because it’s not a color that calls me, I let open the possibility of one day I could play with it.

Mar

Charcoal

Speaking of charcoal these past few days, I was thinking about another one that is really abstract as well.

I use a lot of water in my drawings or paintings (fortunately you might say…). Charcoal included.

But.
Not in this drawing particularly. Why? I don’t know! It came as he is. Simply, naturally.

It’s not because you have some habits you love that they couldn’t change from time to time because you feel that way. At that time. It could surprise you! In a good way.

Mar

Abstraction

I sometimes border on abstraction. It’s a will, I love abstraction and I love the horse. Difficult to reconcile but nothing is impossible for the one who persists in his desires.

It’s in this thin border that I go beyond myself where anything is possible. Less control, more feeling, and more surprises too. I discover new effects or textures.

I often show you many Stories with close up details of an artwork in process which are very abstract.

I know that the part of me as a graphic designer is very sensible to composition and by extension, abstraction.

“Face to Face 20t”
black chalk, charcoal & watercolor on paper

Feb

How I paint

I paint as it comes, not every day, not for hours. I don’t necessarily paint as popular imagery sees it. I paint my way.

It’s a sudden urge that I barely control. I know that I can bring about this drive through music. It works often but not all the time.

Painting uses a lot of my energy. That’s also why I can’t paint for too long. It’s like a running, after I have a crazy energy then it falls and I’m tired.

It took me a long time to know myself at this level and just as much to accept it.

But I love my way of painting! I have a lot of feelings that make me feel so good during the process: some waves of love and joy mostly. My creativity nourish itself with that. Without these emotions, to paint is a constraint. That’s also why it takes me a lot of energy.

All artwork is the sole property of Bénédicte Gelé and is held under copyright (even after purchase following the copyright). The images, artwork, and contents of this website may not be copied, collected, or used for personal or professional gain without the written permission from Bénédicte Gelé. All images of artwork, sold or otherwise, are retained by Bénédicte Gelé.

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Bananas!! 🍌

Painting from Detaille

Ears or Not Ears?

Shadow & Light

Powerful Expression

Demo Painting Video

Colors

Charcoal

Abstraction

How I paint

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