Cristina Bencina

Location: US Web: www.cristinabencina.com Email: cristinabencina@gmail.com media: Acrylic gouache, pastels, inks Cristina studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she’s based today. Her technique includes subtle layers of acrylic washes combined with various mixed media such as acrylic gouache, chalk pastel and sumi ink.

From this traditional starting point, she brings her pieces into Photoshop where they’re detailed. “I aim to express the juxtaposition of dark and beauty within my work,” Cristina reveals.

1 Fire Acrylic, 14x20in

“After reading Firestarter by Stephen King, I was inspired to paint a mock cover. I wanted to work with patterns, and a repeating pattern of fire was an interesting visual graphic to help create a sense of uneasiness that’s a persistent element in the novel.”

2 Roost Acrylic, 22x30in

“Roost was created in response to a juried challenge by Jon Schindehette of ArtOrder for the art book INSPIRED. The aim was to draw your inspiration and I chose the taxidermy displays at the Museum of Natural History in NYC, which I always loved as a child.”

3 Psyche Acrylic, sumi ink, chalk pastel, 11x15in

“This is preliminary cover artwork for a personal story called Hindsight, in which ravens are connected and sense telepathic powers.”

4 Hindsight Acrylic, 22x30in

“More art for my personal story, Hindsight. I wanted to create a surreal visual for the moment when one of the characters in the story is corrupted telepathically by an otherworldly being. The imagery of an astronaut with wings was a strong symbol for the scene.”