Benita Gaudier

I began my art training at a very young age, studying privately at the age of 12. I can’t remember a time when I wasn't drawing, sewing, dancing or rearranging my bedroom.  At 13 I painted my entire bedroom pink, including a ceramic rooster lamp and its shade.  Although my parents were horrified about the lamp, my father put it in the window of his shoe store as part of a display.  Someone offered to buy it, effectively becoming the seed of my art and design career.  My studies in dance ended in my late teens and art won out as my creative outlet of choice. It has been a lifelong pursuit and now, having celebrated my 68th birthday, I feel that I’m only just beginning the journey.

My formal education is in Interior Design and Architecture with a minor focus on fine art. During my early years in design I did a number of professional renderings of buildings and interior spaces which, naturally, influenced my technique in my future paintings. Because of my architectural background.  I understand the structure of buildings which influences my style as a combination of realism and impressionism, keeping them painterly. I love to travel and paint the interesting and beautiful places that I have visited. My paintings of cities and villages of the French and English countrysides are included in many private and corporate collections. My background makes me uniquely suited to painting portraits of people’s homes, gardens or treasured scenes from their travels or vacations. I love watching their expressions when they see their painting for the first time, knowing that it will become an heirloom to hand down to their families.

In addition to my professional design and art training, I studied portrait painting privately for several years. This experience has taken a new turn in recent years and I have been painting portraits of animals. It began with an experiment to see how it compared with painting humans and it has become a beloved addition to my scenery work.  I am so charmed by the faces and expressions of domestic and barnyard animals that painting their portraits has become a new artistic focus. I paint miscellaneous critters for my own enjoyment and, perhaps most rewarding, do commissioned portraits of people’s beloved pets. I intend to continue this direction and see where the path takes me because capturing their expressions and the sweetness of their personalities is a delight. That really is what painting is all about for me – the sheer joy of doing it.

Education & Professional Experience

1958-1968 – Port Clinton, OH
Began private art lessons with a well know local artist and art classes in high school. Focus was on still life and landscapes in oil and charcoal.  

1968-1971 – Toledo, OH
Studied portraiture privately with Walter Chapman, a beloved artist of regional fame who will turn 100 in December, 2015. 

1971 – Memphis, TN
Studied painting at Memphis Academy of Art.

1974-1977 – San Diego Evening College
Began studies for Interior Design with a strong emphasis on art studies. Studied watercolor with artist Walter Landry of La Jolla, CA.

1977-1983 – Design Institute of San Diego
Attended the private college of Interior Design and Architecture.  School was strongly geared toward art and architecture and I developed an interest in architectural rendering. I did numerous professional renderings while attending design school. Graduated in 1983 with a degree in Contract Interior Design.

1983 – 2008  
Practiced Contract Interior Design in architectural firms and independently.

1986
Began studying watercolor in earnest, primarily painting landscapes with architecture. I have taken numerous workshops from well-known watercolorists from all over the country.

1992
Traveled to England for a 3 week watercolor workshop with Charlotte Britton, AWS.

2003
Traveled to Paris and Southern France with Lisa Guthrie of Mill Valley and a group of artists.

1991-1994  
Taught Interior Architecture at U.C. Berkeley Extension.

1993  
First solo show – Conscious Chiropractic, San Francisco, CA.

1994  
Second solo show – Soaps Hair Salon, San Francisco, CA.

1990–Present  
Selling my work both independently and through local businesses and galleries.  My paintings hang in over 200 corporate and private collections.

1997 – 2001  
Had a studio in the Downtown Art Center in San Rafael (now known as ArtWorks Downtown) and opened a gallery in the front of the art center – The Art Center Gallery Store.  My work was shown and sold in the gallery along with many emerging local artists, craftspeople and Art Center resident artists.

2000  
Third solo show – City Café, San Rafael, CA.

1997-2004  
Worked for Charles Schwab designing their retail branches.

1996 – Present  
Teach watercolor classes privately.

June 2004
Solo show San Anselmo Winery, San Anselmo, CA.

July-Aug 2006  
Two person show at Marchant Chapman Real Estate, SA, CA.

Dec 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014
Participated in Small Works Holiday Show at Art Works Downtown, San Rafael.

Dec 2013
Participated in the Art on the Farm exhibit at Art Works Downtown.

2011 - ongoing
Showing  animal paintings at RabbitEARS rescue center, El Cerrito, CA.  Sale of works benefits the center.

March - April 2014
Participated in MCWS exhibit at Rock Hill Gallery at the Community Congregational Church, Tiburon, CA.  Theme:  California Colors. Won The Ruth Alexander Award for best of theme painting.

May 2014
Participated in MCWS "Burst of Light" exhibit at Mill Valley Council Chambers, Corte Madera, CA.

May - July 2015

Participated in MCWS "Marin Meanderings"  exhibit in Corte Madera Library, Corte Madera, CA

June 1 - June 30 2015

Participated in MCWS "Gateways" exhibit at the Mill Valley Community Center, Mill Valley, CA

August 5 - August 30 2015

Participated in MCWS "Watercolor Fusion" exhibit at Marin Society of Artists Gallery,  Marin Art & Garden Center, Ross, CA.  Won the Ruth Alexander Award for best of theme painting.

August 21 - October 5 2016

Art in the California Parks exhibit.  Marin Watercolor Society, Rock Hill Gallery, Tiburon.

August 10 - December 14 2016

Art Around Town Exhibit.  Petaluma Valley Hospital

September 24 - November 11 2016

Group show celebrating the 20th anniversary of Art Works Downtown, San Rafael

October 2 2016

Watercolor demonstration at gallery open house.  Barnyard animals.  Hopscotch Gallery & Gifts, Glen Ellen

October 21 - November 16 2016

Group show at Hopscotch Gallery & Gifts, Glen Ellen.  "Wings" - all about birds.

December 2017 and 2018

Participated in the Albany Middle School Arts & Crafts Fair

Participated in a number of Exhibits with The Marin Country Watercolor Society.

2017 - 2019

Showed my paintings at Gallery One in Petaluma, CA until relocating to Southern California

2017 - 2020

Taught art to special needs adults through the Alchemia program in San Rafael and Novato CA

Affiliations

At Works Downton San Rafael CA Had a studio and gallery from 1997-2000. Associate member from 2000 - 2019.

Marin County Watercolor Society Member from 1989 - 2019

San Diego Watercolor Society Member 2022 - Present Fifteen paintings juried into member shows to date. Most recent: Lemon Tree Very Pretty, The Scout and On My Golden Pond.