"Look, without feeling too much"... a quote from Pictures & Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings by James Elkins, 2001. (Taylor and Francis.)

"I want people to look at my paintings and (see with their hearts)… to awaken feelings within them," says Sallie Benton. Benton paints her friends. The emotional interaction between artist and model is used as the starting point of the painting. In the intimacy of the moment, color and gesture unite to expose the chemistry between the two people. The thickly painted surfaces further reveal the energetic tension taking place.

Click here to see additional work by Sallie Benton