Paul Bennett

How many shades of blue are used to give this work its icy power? The power of this particular colour lies in its mixture of emotional punch and formal stylishness, a potent combination gleefully exposed by this talented artist as he creates his wonderful works. Affecting, but never dour, these paintings glow with a resonance and energy which carries forward a deep rooted heart of melancholy. Blushes of red give the portraits a truly sensual glow, offering a warmth and delicate edge of passion. Tastefully handled colours and forms are worked with the lightest of touches, immense in power yet crafted with a whispering delicacy. Other figures cry, drenched in a feminine sorrow, their elegance juxtaposed with their emotional pain to create beautifully tense pictures. Paul Bennett’s skill lies in his ability to paint in a variety of styles, never resting on one idea or concept and his talent is shown in the mixture of portraits and seascapes he exhibits on LondonArt. There are few better ways for an artist to capture eternity than in a gloriously distant horizon. The rollicking waves cause a brooding energy to crash down upon the coastal rocks. A crisp white sky fades into petrol blue as the light collects around the vanishing horizon. Each wave break is capped with tiny candle-spots of light, lending the composition a dancing rhythm. Equal parts a Turner seascape and a contemporary abstract canvass, the painter finds the emotion and feeling in the scene and captured it wonderfully. As the base colours of white and grey mix with the warming tones of green and blue, the canvass comes to life, containing much of the energy of his shoreline subject. Already a very popular artist on our site, we hope that this artist of the week award will convince a wider audience to take a look at the beautiful art.