ABOUT
The Southbay Plein Air Art Academy was created as a way for painters of all levels to come out to the beautiful Southbay and learn to paint, or learn how to paint better. The area has so many vibrant locations to inspire you, and the act of painting freely under the sky and in the fresh air goes back most importantly to Monet and the Impressionists. Your instructor, Ben Junta, www.paintscapestudio.com has over 3 decades of painting experience and loves to share his knowledge with students. So come on out and enjoy some magical time in the Southbay, see and feel the ocean, and surprise yourself with your new creations!
A graduate of Occidental College, artist Ben Junta www.paintscapestudio.com and www.benjunta.com makes his home in the Southbay. He has a long history of exhibiting his paintings across the United States, including Stanford University, The Vermont Studio Center, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, The Bryant Street Gallery, Hale Arts Spaces in Santa Monica, and most prominently with the well known online and brick and mortar retailer Serena and Lily (his paintings have been featured in their Los Angeles, San Francisco, Westport, CT, Pacific Palisades, Newport Beach and Southhampton, NY locations) www.serenaandlily.com
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Born in Carmel, CA, and raised in Los Altos Hills, CA, Ben began his college career at Middlebury College where he played men's football and was the number one singles player on the men's tennis team. He ultimately transferred to Occidental College, where he was the number one men's singles player and voted to the All - SCIAC men's tennis teams in both his junior and senior years.
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His post college artistic training occurred at numerous well respected institutions across the United States, including The Cape School of Art in Provincetown, MA, The Santa Fe Art Institute, and the renowned Vermont Studio Center. From these and other experiences he has formed a way of teaching that is rooted in classic art but is kept fun and fresh for students.
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Ben keeps a large working art studio located at www.beaconartsbuilding.com as featured in this article link in The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/travel/arts-bloom-in-inglewood-calif.html?mcubz=1
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His most recent landscape exhibition was in Summer 2023 with the Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Instructor Portfolio
Most all pieces here are sold but feel free to inquire
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Classes/Workshops
Classes
Description:
Classes are being taught on an ongoing basis. Ben teaches in such a manner that he can have both separate beginner and intermediate classes as well as classes where levels are mixed. Classes meet once per week. Students can jump in at any time as there is no fixed end start or end date. in group clases Ben will be addressing the group as a whole, but then giving each student individual time. Sometimes, depending on one's prior experience, it is nice just to be amongst other painters and be part of a group experience. As this is focused on plein air (outdoor) painting, classes will be meeting in different locations such as the Hermosa Beach Pier, Abolone Cove in Palos Verdes, Point Vicente Lighthouse, Lunada Bay and other locations in Palos Verdes. Please contact Ben for a list of class meeting times, as well as seeing the list below. Their is flexibility as well depending on what are best available days for students. Private classes or groups of two can be scheduled separately.
Cost
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Group classes: $150/student as long as class has a minimum of 3 students. There is some flexibility as to what days work best for groups. Feel free to discuss with me. Phone/text: 650.799.0525 or benjunta@gmail.com
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Private Classes: $200/student Private classes run for 2.5 hrs (usually tend to go a bit longer) and are scheduled depending on mutual student teacher availability. Phone/text: 650.799.0525 or benjunta@gmail.com
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Upon enrollment, class meeting sites on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and a list of needed art materials will be provided. Please email (benjunta@gmail.com) or call/text me (650.799.0525) with any questions, as these classes are now being reintroduced as things are opening up again with the whole covid thing having calmed down.
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Classes:
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February: Group Classes meet every Thursday 9:30 - Noon
February: Private Classes - scheduled with students as desired
March: Group Classes meet every Thursday 9:30 - Noon
March: Private Classes - scheduled with students as desired
April: Group Classes meet every Thursday 9:30 - Noon
April: Private Classes - scheduled with students as desired
One Group Class
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Pack of 3 Group Classes
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Pack of 5 Group Classes
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One Private Class
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Pack of 3 Private Classes
Workshops
Description:
Multi day workshops are also a great way to gain much information in a more intensive format. These will be multi day/week long experiences where we will start painting in the morning, take a lunch break, and then continue painting after lunch. They will be offered on both the Palos Verdes Peninsula and in Santa Fe, NM. One day, mid class, will be a special museum day as both Los Angeles and Santa Fe have wonderful museum offerings. Due to covid, workshops had been put on hold, but we are ramping back up. Stay posted.
References
"Last year I completed Ben’s landscape painting class. I had no prior experience painting. Ben is a great instructor. He has a wealth of knowledge and a true passion for teaching. Under his tutelage I began the evolution of being the artist I never thought I could be." - Deborah B
"Ben is a fun, witty, intelligent, talented artist with an engaging perspective on painting. His work speaks volumes if one sits with it and listens to all that is expressed in the mark making, the colors, the textures, the light. Ben is an engaging conversationalist, competent writer and a consummate teaching professional" - Leanne G
"Ben is one of the more talented artists and teachers I have come across. He takes great pride in his work and is a man of integrity." - Jeffrey A
"Ben is genuine person and a terrific painter and teacher. He has a great sense of color, an amazing knowledge of art history and he makes very heartfelt paintings." - Mitchell J
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