The Refreshing & Inspiring Focus of Benjamin Casiano's Compelling Artwork

“Art has been there since the very beginning.?A companion that never left my side, waiting for me in the distance even when I was doing other things.?She waited quietly and patiently until one day she saw me in complete solitude.?I picked up a brush and that’s when she leaned over and whispered...What took you so long?”?

?--Benjamin Casiano

If you haven’t already had the pleasure of meeting Casiano’s charming, somewhat shy and seductive subjects...now you can.???

You can feel the quiet, patience Casiano knows with his love of art.????

The first time we talked was on the phone.?Our original plan was to meet for coffee but then we realized we lived on opposite sides of Connecticut.??

Our conversation was still enjoyable...we ended up talking on the phone for an hour.?It was funny -- I had a list of questions for Casiano but he had far more to offer than the questions on my piece of paper.??

“So you were a teacher?”?Casiano asked.?

His respect for the roles of women are evident in his nurturing paintings of mother and child.?The tenderness is clear as day.??

“Yes I taught mostly kindergarten for about 20 years. I loved the time to create with the kids...painting, classplays and pottery.”

“Teachers were a big influence on me growing up...they always encouraged me in artwork.”??

“I can see why...that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, but you know, I was also thinking about making a living so I worked in graphic design for a long time as a Creative Director & Designer.?That’s part of why my paintings have the shapes and lines that they have.”

“You have a collection of Neo-Cubism and Abstract Art.?They’re very different, distinct and dedicated.

The Neo-Cubism style is focused on feminine life and in part musical instruments.?

And the Abstract is dedicated to seasons, natural settings and the moods of the weather.?

Both styles are still very clean and clear and I love the bright, bold colors. Do you have a preference for watercolor, oils or acrylics?”

“Watercolor and acrylic.?I don’t like the way oils smell and they take so long to dry.?Van Gogh must have waited so long for his paintings to dry.”

“Oh...I never thought about that. It's interesting -- most of your Neo-Cubism subjects have one eye?”?

“It’s funny...I started painting them that way with the minds’ eye in “mind” and then I developed complications in one eye and can hardly see out of it.?Hey - have you seen “The Art Of The Steal?”

“No, I don’t think I have.”

“Oh, you’ve got to watch that. You can find it on Youtube.?It’s all about the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.?A great collection of art.?It’s a fascinating story.”???

“Will do...thank you. So I was looking at your gallery on the computer...you’ve got some dancing scenes too.?‘Our Dance’, ‘Loving’, ‘The Couple’, ‘Tango’, ‘Salsa’…”

“You like the dancers?” Casiano asks, chuckling.??

“Yes... I'm a fool for dancing.”

“Well, I’m Hispanic so I guess that’s part of it...The Tango and Salsa dancers.?The dancers are the only time I include a man in my paintings.?I like to focus on an appreciation for women.”?

“What are you working on now?”

“On making my paintings bigger...large scale.”??

“That sounds cool. So is that your number one goal?”

“I’d like to add something not seen in modern day culture.”

“Well, I think you’ve achieved that!?Your artwork is in private and public collections around the world.

?The love and friendship Casiano feels for art reflects in all his work.?Lucky for us... the magic of solitude found him.?He picked up that paint brush and let the muse in.

To see more of Casiano’s compelling artwork, go to...

www.casiano.info

linkedin.com/in/benjamincasiano??

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