One of the foremost American Impressionists of the 21st century, artist Ben Fenske is known for his bold, energetic brushstrokes and signature use of vivid colors. His figurative paintings, still-lifes and interiors are flooded with warm natural light and dazzle in their wealth of blues, greens and soft violets.
Born in 1978, Fenske grew up in the small rural town of St. Joseph, Minnesota. His interest in art began at an early age. When he was 12 years old, Fenske would spend a minimum of two hours each day drawing and painting, working with charcoal, watercolors, acrylics and pastels. His passion for art broadened in high school, leading him to attend the Minnesota River School of Fine Art at age 18. There, he studied under artists including Joseph Paquet and Darren Rousar.
Following a brief stint as a graphic designer, Fenske studied in Minneapolis at the Bougie Studio, learning figure drawing and cast drawing from artist Peter Bougie. Later, when he was in his early 20s, Fenske decided to go to Florence, Italy, to study painting and drawing at the Florence Academy of Art.
While in Florence, Fenske became inspired by French Impressionism of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as Old Masters paintings and Russian and Soviet art — notably the works of brothers Aleksei and Sergei Tkachev.
For more than a decade, Fenske divides his time between Sag Harbor, New York, and Italy’s Tuscan hills, where he draws inspiration for his landscapes from the surrounding countryside. In addition to his paintings, Fenske has a considerable portfolio of portrait drawings and nude sketches. He has also delved into figurative sculpture, such as the bronze Wild Boar, which he created with artist Richard Zinon.
Fenske regularly exhibits throughout the United States, including annually at the Grenning Gallery in the Hamptons. In 2016, he participated in the “BP Portrait Award Exhibition” at the National Portrait Gallery in London. He was also named by American Artist magazine as one of the “Best 25 Living Artists” in 2012.
On 1stDibs, find a range of Ben Fenske paintings, drawings and sculptures.
"Violet Horizon II" Neo Impressionist seascape on Long Island, en plein air
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Violet Horizon II is a Neo Impressionist Landscape painted en plein air in Long Island, NY. Artist Bio Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnes...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
$12,800
"Soft Yellow Sunset" contemporary impressionist oil painting, abstract seascape
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Soft Yellow Sunset" is a contemporary impressionist oil painting of the sun setting over Noyack Bay in Sag Harbor, New York. Fenske works in a loose-im...
Linen, Oil, Canvas
Road, Vermont
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An impressionistic painting of a wintery Vermont.
Linen, Oil
"Sunday Sunrise" oil painting on wood panel, impressions of colorful sky
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air in Tuscany, an early morning landscape painted at sunrise. The sky turns from a deep lilac on top, to a soft pink and bright pale yellow towards the horizon. A b...
Oil, Panel
$1,500
"Long Beach Study" oil painting on wood panel, color value sketch, yellow, blues
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air in Sag Harbor, NY. A favorite local beach to watch the sunset over Noyac Bay. Painted on wood panel with loose brushstrokes, an impressionist painting that is ne...
Oil, Panel
$2,500
"Horse Sketch" impressionistic painting on panel of horse being washed by person
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil on wood panel sketch of a horse, on a sunny day. The horse stands before a bright green field. Wood panel remains exposed as your eye drifts away from the center of the painti...
Oil, Panel
The Derby, Wellington FLA
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A gestural painting of a horse and rider landing from jumping an oxer in a large green field in sunny Florida.
Oil, Panel
$3,650
H 18 in W 24 in
Lisa Palombo, "Secretariat 31 Lengths", Horse Race Equine Acrylic Painting
By Lisa Palombo 1
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This colorful equine impressionist painting, "Secretariat 31 Lengths" by artist Lisa Palombo is a 18x24 acrylic sketch on watercolor paper. Depicted is a ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,100
H 15.5 in W 13.5 in D 1.5 in
Autumn Trees - Mid Century Small-Scale Landscape, Signed Oil Painting
By Helen Enoch Gleiforst
Located in Soquel, CA
Autumn Trees - Mid Century Small-Scale Landscape, Signed Oil Painting Vivid mid century landscape of autumn trees blurring into colorful abstraction by Helen Gleiforst (American, 19...
Masonite, Oil
$545
H 12 in Dm 12 in
A Portrait of a Badger and His Pear - Whimsical Animal Painting on Wood Panel
By JJ Galloway
Located in Los Angeles, CA
JJ Galloway is an internationally collected artist known for her whimsical paintings and sculptures that combine people, animals, and food. Using oils, watercolors, and mixed media, ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$6,500
H 13.5 in W 18.24 in
New York Skyline the West Side with Hudson River - Vintage New York
By Frank S. Hermann
Located in Miami, FL
Rooftop view of the upper West Side Manhattan as it looked in the 1930s. There is a rough indication of a billboard and a glimpse of the Hudson River. The cluster of buildings depic...
Oil, Gouache, Board
$1,850
H 12 in W 12 in D 1.5 in
Trip Park, "Mighty Fishies", 12x12 Abstract Colorful Sardine Painting on Canvas
By Trip Park
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This painting, “Mighty Fishies,” is a 12x12 (see Mini Fishies as a pair) mixed media painting on canvas by artist Trip Park. Featured in the work are five fish that resemble sardines...
Canvas, Oil
$3,750
H 29.5 in W 23 in
American Impressionist scene of a sail boat on a river in New England
By Charles Bertie Hall
Located in Woodbury, CT
Charles Bertie Hall, Yacht sailing in a river. Owning an Impressionist marine landscape by Charles Bertie Hall, an English/American Impressionist painter, offers a unique opportuni...
Oil, Canvas
$240Sale Price|20% Off
H 8 in W 12 in D 0.2 in
Hawaii Coral Reef Oil Painting on Stretched Canvas, Impasto, 8x12"
By Olga Nikitina
Located in Zofingen, AG
* Title: Hawaii Coral Reef * Size: 12 x 8 inches * Materials: oil, stretched canvas, palette knife * Shipping: gallery standards packaging, express ship...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$783Sale Price|20% Off
H 27.63 in W 32.75 in D 2 in
Harbor in Blue - Abstracted Landscape
By Martha Scurlock
Located in Soquel, CA
Stylized depiction of a harbor scene in monochrome blues with abstracted elements by Martha Scurlock (American, 20th Century). Signed lower left "M. Scurlock" and on verso in pencil "Martha Scurlock". Rustic, vintage painted frame...
Canvas, Acrylic
Coral Reef Fish Painting Impasto
By Olga Nikitina
Located in Zofingen, AG
* Title: Coral Reef * Size: 12 x 8 inches * Materials: oil, stretched canvas, palette knife * Shipping: gallery standards packaging, express shipping Bright abstract seascape paintin...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$8,000
H 15.75 in W 13.75 in D 2 in
"21" Black Outline Bunny on Wild Orchid Pink Background Oil Painting Framed
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful composition of one of Slonem's most iconic subjects, Bunnies. This piece depicts a gestural figure of a black bunny on a Wild Orchid Pink background with thick use of pai...
Oil, Wood Panel
$440Sale Price|20% Off
H 14 in W 14 in D 1.5 in
Glowing Red Sunset - Abstracted Landscape in Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Glowing Red Sunset - abstracted Landscape in Acrylic on Canvas Vibrant sunset by an unknown central California coast artist Maria Pavao Hadsell (Portugal/American). A glowing red sky is reflected in the foreground of this piece, implying a marsh or pond. Beyond the red foreground, there green and yellow transitions into blue mountains. Maria Pavao Hadsell was born in Portugal and is mostly a self taught artist originally from Portugal. Later she immigrated to the USA and lived in Massachusetts, then she moved to Sunnyvale, California. Studied watercolor in Italy, and with Los Gatos artist William Wray Signed "M Pavao...
Canvas, Oil
$3,250
H 20 in W 20 in
Trip Park, "Blue Horses", 20x20 Abstract Colorful Horse Oil Painting on Canvas
By Trip Park
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This Painting, "Blue Horses", is a 20x20 oil painting on canvas by artist Trip Park. Featured in the painting is a repeating and overlapping pattern of a rider and horse in various s...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 31.5 in W 47 in D 2.25 in
"Peter's Pond, September" Impressionistic view of Sagaponack beach en plein air
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by contemporary impressionist, Ben Fenske. A quiet beach in Sagaponack, NY. Hamptons houses sit atop the dunes on the left, leading to a sandy expanse of beach in the...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
Road in Minnesota
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil on wood painting. A soft pastoral depiction of a seemingly endless road and the vast surroundings, in Minnesota, Fenske's home state. Reminiscent of Fairfield Porter. Ben F...
Oil, Wood Panel
Wildflowers, Storm
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An impressionistic painting of the rolling Tuscan Hills where the artist lives. Ben Fenske (b. 1978) although a native of Minnesota, and has been working and living in Sag Harbor, ...
Linen, Oil
Secret Beach, Pink Clouds
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An impressionistic painting of a beach on the east end of Long Island. Painted en plain-air. The painting dimensions are 47.25 x 59.1 inches. Framed in a traditional wooden frame with a gold leaf front...
Linen, Oil
Sturgeon Moonbeams
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A medium sized, horizontally oriented oil painting of the moon over the ocean. Painted from memory, a moonscape at Gibson Lane beach in Sagaponac...
Linen, Oil
Trees, Sketch
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air in Shelter Island, a study of trees in the woods. Fenske painted this sketch as a study, in preparation for a larger painting. Although a small panel, his elemen...
Oil, Wood Panel
Late Afternoon, Church
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A small scale oil on wood panel sketch of a white church, painted from life. A blue sky is dusted with an orange hue, signifying the end of the day. Orange light hits the roof of the...
Canvas, Oil
Violet Horizon
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A medium scale, horizontally oriented oil painting of the sun setting over the bay. Painted from life, in Sag Harbor, NY, the peconic bay glistens with colors as the sun sets over the horizon. Hues of blue, turquoise, indigo and violet make up the majority of the canvas, highlighted by accents of yellows and creams. Urgent, loose brushstrokes connote impressionism, and bring to mind modern...
Canvas, Oil
Sagaponack Waves
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A large scale, horizontally oriented oil painting of the ocean waves crashing onto the shore, in Sagaponack, New York. Waves roll onto shore...
Canvas, Oil
Gibson, Moonrise
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A large scale, horizontally oriented oil painting of the moon over the ocean. Painted from memory, a moonscape at Gibson Lane beach in Sagaponack...
Oil, Linen
Long Beach Fishing Nets
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting of Long Island's Peconic Bay at Sunset. A sandy foreground meets a pale green sea, reflecting the white overcast sky above. The heavy grey sky hazes the sun, into a ...
Linen, Oil
Evening Cloud
By Ben Fenske
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
“Evening Cloud” (2019, Oil on linen, 35.43 x 49.21 inches). An oil painting, created en plein air in Tuscany. Rolling hills illuminated and shadowed by the natural light of a clouded...
Canvas, Oil