Gary Benfield, 1965(76 PICS)

Benfield, British painter, studied art at Stourbridge College of art and at Wrexham College of Art. In 1986 Benfield became a professional freelance illustrator. After leaving the academic world he set up his own studio near London and concentrated on drawing and painting figures. Within a few years his work was collected throughout Europe and his reputation firmly established. Benfield has a natural talent for depicting things as seen. His work is spontaneous and is reflected by his drawn lines and dashes of color.

The figures dissolve in and out of their backgrounds and move across the paper. He paints rapidly and discards most of his paintings and drawings, keeping only those he feels are perfected in their conception rather than overwork those that he feels are not correct. His pictures represent a discrete world of objects which combine figures, mythology, nature, still life and despite the casual appearance of his compositions, all this imagery is highly organized, after long observations one finds the hidden symmetry of the graphic design. For Benfield, the world around him is a continuous sequence of contained fortuitous events. Objects and figures intertwine in his mind, they dance, they fuse and the one adopts the color and life of the other. We are drawn into an intimate world of his imagery, where sensuality and delight in life’s form are combined in flight of frolic and fantasy. Benfield is considered to be one of the most renowned contemporary artists in the art world today.

Painting By Colin Staples 1959

Colin Staples, Australian painter, was born in 1959. For me, art has always been my vital spark, a journey of discovery into not only techniques and visuals, but of mind and letting go to watch the work create itself.

The creation of art has been my driving force since early childhood with the past 10 years seeing continued growth. The concepts behind my art have been largely influenced through many years of studying martial arts and it's philosophies of no mind; shedding the ego. I feel my best work is expressed through this approach and have developed a feeling I am now intimate with, and trust.

I...like most artists, don't enjoy talking about myself...I guess that's why we paint. My work is primarily portrait and figure in acrylics, which to me retains a feeling of freshness through the continuous mixing of new colours. Currently I only paint recreationally but relentlessly at every opportunity. I have no formal art degrees, just a very real passion to express what I see in the soul of another being.

After serving many years in painting I now feel a calling toward abstraction with the focus on maintaining the essence of the soul before me. Much of my work is completed within the one sitting to capture the life and soul of the subject, with a sense of freedom being created because of the time limit. My paintings are large in size as I try to get as much paint to the surface of the canvas in this time while retaining the qualities of the soul I feel I see.