Ben Fenske grew up in rural Minnesota, painting and drawing daily from a young age. His artistic education began in Minneapolis and eventually took him to Florence, Italy. Despite his classical training, he finds the studio sterile and is most inspired when painting on location, often outdoors. His interest in Impressionism — particularly Soviet Impressionism — has influenced both his technique and subject matter.

Window was painted from life in the kitchen of Fenske’s home near Florence. His partner Amy is the model. “After many sessions, I decided to alter the position of the head and hand after a spontaneous pose by Amy during a break. She glanced out the window after hearing a dog bark.” The original idea for the painting was an “after sunset” effect which later evolved to an indoor/outdoor effect, with cool blue light from the sky illuminating the interior. His focus was on color harmonies, incorporating yellows, blues, and greys that flow throughout the painting.

Windows often feature prominently in Fenske’s work, reflecting his interest in the interaction between interior and exterior spaces.

Fenske divides his time, painting both in Italy and on the East Coast of America.