Fine Art Magazine June Edition

A R T I S T F E A T U R E G A R Y B E N F I E L D L I F E S T U D I E S WAITING Original Painting on Board 32” x 23” We are pleased to present a powerful series of wildlife and equine studies fromdistinguished British artist Gary Benfield. This spellbinding collection combines aesthetic beauty with technical panache and demonstrates a rare ability to understand and express the essence of his subject – a trait which has made Gary one of our best selling artists amongst both animal lovers and art lovers. Whether he is painting wild creatures in their natural habitat or more formal portraits of racehorses, Gary always works initially from life, and this is the key to his creative process. With him a painting does not begin and end on a canvas in his studio, but originates in extensive sketching and photographing of the subject. He then uses a combination of oils, pastels and other drawing materials to create something vibrant and spontaneous in response to the material he has built up. “Working in oil paint gives me the ability to push and manoeuvre the paint once it is on the surface. Because I am ambidextrous I often work with a pencil in one hand and a brush in the other, and this allows me to create, mould and modify my lines as I go, giving these images an energy and fluidity that I hope reflects or captures the movement of these astonishing animals. Whether I am creating a formal equestrian portrait or an animated portrayal of three horses racing for the finish, it is always an emotional response to what I’m painting rather than a static representation of it.” 42 GARY BENFIELD ARTIST FEATURE