LATONJA DAVIS-BENSON FINE ART
My Artwork does not describe any one particular style, but rather my sense-ual attraction to concept - with beauty, color, and texture. My art portfolio exhibits energetic, passionate translations of my individuality, spontaneity and insanely creative ideas.
It is like a journey - enjoy the ride.”
Artist Statement
Life and Inspiration
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Latonja is a planner in many areas of her life, but in her art, she is driven by emotion and vision while often times taking risks. Once she has decided on a material of choice, Latonja is known to allow a natural spontaneous revelation that the material has to offer, as each piece progresses to its finish. While working with oil, acrylic, pastel, wax, dye, latex, pencil and/or found materials, she realizes that her mission was not only to produce unique art, but also to advocate and re-validate the discards of our environment into a greater purpose – art. Latonja’s ceaseless motivation to create visually inviting works on panels, paper, and canvas dares to be overlooked.
Latonja Davis-Benson was born and raised in a small country town of Beaumont, Texas, with her three younger brothers, her mother and father (an Air Force Man). Home is where Latonja found appreciation in ordinary objects and images to view for drawing – from simple cartoons to nature’s abundance of textures is what she captured in her work. Although her dad was a military man, he was somewhat of a natural artist himself, so she watched and learned as he created his "doodle" art, while mom encouraged her interest in drawing by always providing an abundance of art tools. The Flintstones, Disney, and Looney Tunes, were among her favorite images and served as an important foundation for art progression to begin. Latonja practiced the art of “seeing” and understanding simple forms, line, and tone at an early age, which is where her love for drawing and painting evolved into admirable works-of-art. Moving to California with her family at the age of 12, Latonja’s talent began to bloom while in her pre-teen years; as she attended “art-promoting” schools where new avenues to interesting ideas and processes that would later shape her artistic ingenuity.
Today, Latonja Davis-Benson is a mixed media painter, assemblage artist and graphic artist; showing her work in numerous private and public venues throughout, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles Counties; much of her artwork lives in the homes or companies of numerous collectors. Latonja has earned a Bachelor and Master of Art degrees , and works as a teacher of higher education, in Riverside County, she also holds a degree in Radiologic Sciences and works as a Mammographer on occasion.
Latonja is not afraid of taking risks in exploration of new ideas, uncommon territories, and fruitful business opportunities. She is driven to succeed artistically and professionally through exhibition of her works-of-art; as a teacher of higher education in arts, and as an entrepreneur in business - thus accomplishing what she loves - showing and teaching art. In addition, Latonja, aka Queen BEE Artist, recently starting a sip and paint business, called PaintHiveStudio.com (based in the Inland Empire), where art expression is encouraged on a fun, social level.
"My Artwork does not describe any one particular style, but rather my general attitude towards certain subjects. My paintings, combines and drawings convey my individuality, spontaneous thoughts and ideas. It is like a journey into many of my muses. My passion also embraces the business of art and the art of business through the development of my website. Visit my online portfolio that exhibits spectacular art concepts. LatonjaFineArt.com."
Latonja Davis-Benson
Latonja Davis-Benson considers herself to be a mixed media, multi-process artist, making art that convinces her viewers that the art comes from her soul and her material. Latonja is a breast cancer survivor who ardently considers her artwork practice to be therapy through her recovery. Continued creative curiosity focused her attention on nature and its effortless waste as a prudent catalyst in fine art. Keeping our worldly recycling and reclamation effort in the forefront, Latonja understands the environmental sensitivities of our culture and uses that knowledge to create largely tactile and thought-provoking art with many re-purposed materials to introduce a new dimension in her art making. This movement in her art parallels with the rediscovery and spiritual rebirth in her life after cancer.
Her style includes realistic drawing, figurative-abstract painting, and abstract combine assemblage paintings. Her realistic work finds pure detail of her subject matter while using graphite and charcoal; her figurative-abstract creates a connection with representational painting and innovative distortions of color, shape and line while it pushes the boundaries of “ordinary”; and her abstract combine paintings relies on the inclusion of many non-art materials throughout the work that reveals unique distinction, which is her signature.