Instructors > Ben Valentine

Ben Valentine

Guest Instructor

San Diego artist Ben Valentine acknowledges that he embarked on his artistic journey with what he terms a "late start." He began receiving initial instruction and guidance at the age of 30, taking workshops with renowned artists such as Joseph Todorovitch, Jeremy Lipking, Adrian Gottlieb, and Jeff Watts. Additionally, he sought online tutelage from Stephen Bauman at a later stage.

Dissatisfied with the limited time he could allocate to formal classes and workshops, and driven by a profound fascination with the intricate surface qualities attainable in art, Ben devoted a significant portion of his training to independently replicating old master paintings. He drew inspiration from a story about the writer Hunter S. Thompson, who meticulously copied "The Great Gatsby" word for word on a typewriter to "get into the music of it" and discern patterns within the text. Similarly, Ben undertook the task of replicating countless old master paintings, including those by Sargent, Alma Tadema, and his primary influence, Rembrandt van Rijn.

Over the years, he diligently pursued these studies, emphasizing that his objective was not to be a mere imitator. Instead, like Thompson, he aimed to immerse himself in the beauty and profundity of Western art masterpieces, attributing a substantial portion of his artistic prowess to these endeavors.

​In his own artistic creations, his primary aim is to elicit an emotional response. Drawing on the literary analogy once more, he states, "I want to paint fiction, not the stark realism of non-fiction. Not quite a dream and not quite reality." He strives to achieve complex layers of oil paint, profound impasto that commands attention even from across the room, an atmospheric quality, and a touch of sublimity in his work.

2024 Courses:
None at this time

< Back to All Instructors