(This article has been corrected from the print edition)

After two years of living in Benicia, artist Vicki Dennis is feeling blue. That is not to say she is unhappy— far from it— but the color associated with the oceans and skies will be the subject of her new show at Gallerie Renee Marie titled “The Birth of the Blues.”

Although music was certainly an inspiration, Dennis says the show will capture all kinds of emotions embodied by the color blue.

“I am a huge fan of blues music and am inspired by mood, the spirit and the sound of it,” she said. “I play the blues while I paint. But despite all that, the show really is about the color palette of blue. I wanted to see how I could incorporate the range of blues into paintings, sometimes as the dominant color, sometimes as the background.”

One of the main inspirations behind the show was Dennis’ home state of Kentucky: the Bluegrass State. Many would associate the term “bluegrass” with the subgenre of country music, but it is also a term for a kind of grass popular in the fertile soils of Kentucky, despite being green in appearance. Dennis was a seventh-generation Kentuckian before she moved to Benicia, and thus has always had a sentimental attachment to the color blue.

“Blue is a very joyful color for me, one I grew up with,” she said. “In the spring, the grass in Kentucky really does have a bluish cast to it.”

While in Kentucky, Dennis had a long career in public relations. She was a senior travel writer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a press secretary for the state’s attorney general, communication director of the Kentucky Commission on Women and the first communications director of the Kentucky Lottery. She also founded a public relations firm in Louisville which worked with nonprofits and government programs.

After retiring in 2007, Dennis began spending more time painting. She began in the field of watercolors, painting mostly landscapes and floral images, but she has since branched out into other forms.

“Now I use it all,” she said. “Watercolor, acrylic, water-based mediums, collage, you name it.”

In 2014, Dennis, her husband Ralph and their two cats moved from Louisville to Benicia, where the artist had family. Although it was sad to leave behind the place she had lived for so long, Dennis says she is happy in Benicia and the experience has been good for her work.

“We felt quite bold in embracing such a dramatic change,” she said, “and I like to think that is reflected in my art.”

Dennis quickly made a name for herself by exhibiting her paintings at places like Java Point Cafe and Rosanna’s Bakery. In January, she was invited to join Gallerie Renee Marie.

“In addition to being a fine, fine painter, Renee Marie Jordan has been amazingly generous with her time and space,” she said. “She and my fellow co-op artists have become good friends. We learn so much from each other.”

“The Birth of the Blues” marks a different direction for Dennis, as it is done entirely in acrylics. She was largely inspired by other Benicia artists who had been doing paintings in the same format.

“I wanted to explore that medium (and) see if I could get stronger color using acrylic,” she said.

The work in Dennis’ current show is abstract acrylic, all involving the color blue. Many of the paintings are named after blues songs, and one is titled after Tom Robbins’ 1976 novel “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,” a favorite of Dennis’.

Painting in blue tones was fun for Dennis, and the Bay Area gave her a lot to work with.

“I’ve had such fun playing with the different blues I see in California: the deep dark blue of the ocean, the blue-gray of mist and fog, the bluish haze of Mount Diablo, the colors of the lakes and mountains,” she said. “The contrast with our golden hills is especially striking. It is one of my favorite palettes.”

Despite painting in a color often associated with sadness, the welcoming nature of Benicia has made Dennis feel everything but blue.

“Even in the short time we’ve been here, my husband and I feel so at home,” she said. “Everyone, especially the artist community, has been so kind to us. In some ways, this show is my gift back to Benicia in thanks for being an amazing place to live, work and play. We love our new hometown.”

“The Birth of the Blues” will open Sept. 3 at Gallerie Renee Marie, located at 1038 First St., and will be featured through Sunday, Oct. 2. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 6 p.m. on weekends. A reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10. Dennis will be present, food will be served and Ralph will be playing a playlist of blues songs. For more information, call 480-5501 or visit galleriereneemarie.com.