Pastel Painting from New Mexico by Kirby Benson

Welcome to The Great White Trout Studios home page. Let me introduce myself. My name is Kirby Benson and I have been an artist for over thirty five years. For the majority of that period I made raku and stoneware pottery. During the past four years I have devoted all my art time to pastel painting. If you read the biography from this link you know that painting was my initial interest over 35 years ago when I first began my studies in art. I have returned to it from time to time over the years but now I find it to be my primary focus. Why? Well, at 68 years, I find the body just cannot endure the physical demands of pottery making any longer and therefore I have returned to my first art passion: painting.

The studio where all this art is created is in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Las Cruces, located in the Mesilla Valley, is a community of approximately 80,000. It is the second largest community in New Mexico and it is in the south-central part of our state about 50 miles north of the Mexican border. You bet it's hot and dry - and the folks in these parts tend to grow and eat a lot of chili. The Mimbres valley is about 90 miles from here. As you may know, it is famous for its pre-Colombian painted pottery. So this area has a very rich art tradition.

For paintings, The New Mexico and Arizona Landscape Gallery; the Still Life Gallery and the Other Gallery are available. Please check this page often, as I will be continually displaying new work. Thanks, come back again, and please enjoy the virtual galleries.