FMA Holiday Party

FMA Holiday Party, 24x24, Patricia Bennett, December 2012

I painted this a few weeks ago at the Country Club of Harrisburg.  The floor was not actually yellow, that is artist's license.  This party has a great jazz band, they are in the left corner.

Patricia Bennett in front of her painting at the FMA Holiday Party

Three Ladies

Three Ladies, 8x10, acrylic, Patricia Bennett

Three ladies going home from the Opera.

First Drawing for Artist in Residency at Cylburn Arbortum.

"Cylburn Mansion", 4x6", drawing, Patricia Bennett

I am honored to be the first Artist-in-Residence at Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore City.  Officially, this begins in 2013.

Cylburn Arboretum, owned by Baltimore City and previously a wealthy estate, is home to a large variety of stunning trees and a striking mansion and stone outbuilding.  I visit Cylburn often with my family and it enriches our lives.

My goal is to capture the seasons and to make some good art and raise some money to help with maintenance and programs.

Wedding and Ceremony with Huppa!

Wedding and Ceremony

I recently painted this spectacular wedding.  It was in the Grand Ballroom at the Four Seasons, Baltimore.  Included is the ceremony, the Ketubah (marriage contract), and the reception afterwards.  The gold cake with white chocolate petals didn't make it, but the chandeliers and candelabra did.

The ceremony was very moving and beautiful.  Best wishes to the lovely couple.

Wedding Reception Painting in Hunt Valley

Wedding Reception Painting in Hunt Valley, Painted by Patricia Bennett

Mid-November 2012, I painted this wonderful wedding reception at a private home in Hunt Valley.  As I painted the view from the reception tent, the couple were officially married a few hundred yards away next to the lake.  The bride, dressed in white, also wore a rabbit-fur cloak.

By the time the reception began it was dark outside, so I was glad to have the landscape already painted.  Several family members are included, as well as a few artists and two peacocks who live a few hundred feet away in an elegant aviary.

Holiday Party at the Four Seasons, Baltimore

"Holiday Party, 2012," Patricia Bennett, 24x36" 

On Friday I painted an amazing party at the Four Seasons Hotel, Baltimore.  There was a 9 foot Christmas tree and blue lights and of course the view of the Inner Harbor out of the windows.  The flower arrangements had Christmas balls in them, as well as peacock feathers!

I'm in Style Magazine, November issue!

Hey, I'm in sTyle Magazine, thanks to a great article by Chelsea White.

Check it out!

People&Kids

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Captured on Canvas

‘Live event artist’ Patricia Bennett paints parties as they unfold.

BY CHELSEY WHITE

When Christian and Nola Martin were married on Aug. 18th, their reception at The Four Seasons featured all of the expected elements: food and drink, a band, a cake and a photographer. But there was an additional element that was slightly out of the ordinary: In a corner of the room, fine artist Patricia Bennett stood at an easel, painting the wedding reception as it was happening.

Bennett, 35, is what’s known as a “live event artist,” a painter who captures a celebration or happening as the action unfolds. Since painting her first party in June, she’s been painting three to five events per month, everything from corporate gatherings to bar mitzvahs to weddings.

A Baltimore native, Bennett studied at The Art Institute of Chicago and The Schuler School of Fine Arts of Baltimore, but never planned to make art a career. She got into live event painting at the suggestion of a friend, and now it supplements her other fine art work. (Bennett charges about $1,500 plus expenses to paint an event.)

In preparation for painting an event, Bennett tours the venue, draws sketches and gets a sense of what the client hopes to capture, including the names of the people who should be depicted. Then, she arrives about two hours before the event to set up her equipment— an easel, a canvas, acrylic paints and often a bright light.

She first paints the scene in black and white to establish shapes and composition. Then she incorporates color and, as the event progresses, adds in people and detail. By the time the event ends, the painting is complete. Bennett totes it home, lets it dry and then signs and delivers it.

Although Bennett usually paints from a corner and could simply blend in with the background of the reception, she becomes a point of interest for guests, who approach with questions, including requests to paint them into the scene. “I’ve noticed that I’m able to talk to guests and paint at the same time,” says Bennett, who lives in Mount Washington with her husband and two children. “I get into a zone when I’m painting an event. Nothing can break my focus.”

Because the painting must be completed in a short amount of time, Bennett focuses less on detail and more on the event as a whole.

“Christian and I call it ‘The Monet of Our Wedding,’” says Nola Martin. “The look of the painting is very soft, and there is less specific detail.”

For Martin, hiring Bennett was a perfect way to both entertain guests and capture the spirit of the evening.

“The photos captured the little moments, like getting ready with my bridesmaids in the hotel, but the painting captures the entire evening,” says Martin. “You can really see all our friends and family, my husband and I, and the happiness we all felt together. That’s what makes it so special.” 

410-243-0170, http://www.patriciabennettstudio.com

NOVEMBER 2012

Patricia Bennett in STyle Magazine

Celebration of Art paintings

Urn, 18x24, Patricia Bennett

Entering, 18x24, Patricia Bennett

Two paintings for the Cylburn Celebration of Art Show, next Saturday, text below about the show.  Both paintings are set at Cylburn Arboretum, in Baltimore City.  The animals in the top painting are actually stuffed and can be viewed in the Cylburn museum...

Tickets to the opening are 75$ and can be purchased online at Cylburn's website.

35% of sales go to support these wonderful gardens/children's programs.

 Celebration of Art at Cylburn

Cylburn Arboretum to Host “A Celebration of Art at Cylburn”
Dates: Saturday, November 3-Thursday, November 8

The Walters Art Museum and Peabody Library Family Activities

Saturday, November 3 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Greenhouse Classroom FREE

Patron Preview Breakfast: Saturday, November 3, 10:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.

Gallery Reception and Sale: Saturday, November 3, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Lecture by Leopoldine Prosperetti Professor of Art at Towson University will present “Trees in Art: The Artistic Imagination and Arboreal Subjects in Western Painting”

2:00 p.m.  Vollmer Center FREE

Location: 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore

Cylburn paintings...

Journey, 30x40, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

 These are inspired by Cylburn Arboretum and will be on display at the Celebration of Art event there in November.

Urn, 30x40, Patricia Bennett

Painted Event in Mt. Washington

Mt. Washington Event, 24x36, Patricia Bennett

Painted this Saturday, a commissioned event.

It was a great event.  There was a big turn-out, great food, and when it began to rain, people went inside or under the porch.  Children played everywhere, including on a trampoline (included on the far left).

I stood on top of a child's pirate ship, and kids were on the swings.  Note the foot on the right.

Painting of a Four Season's Wedding Reception...

September 21 Wedding Reception, 24x36, Patricia Bennett

Best Wishes to the couple.

Initial Painting of the Room, on my easel, Patricia Bennett

Close-up of the Initial Paint-in of the room, Patricia Bennett

My Coffee, courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel, Baltimore, Patricia Bennett

Coco!

Coco, 18x24", Patricia Bennett

A portrait of Coco.

Coco is named after the great Coco Chanel.

Process:
After taking over 200 photographs of Coco,  I chose my favorite four, and narrowed it down to 2.  I did a mock-up of each one and the client chose her favorite.  (I wanted to paint Coco in a niche, but open sky looked better.)

I began with a black and white painting.  This was to make sure that everything was in the right place, and to give three-dimensional structure.  I added color, more and more...  For inspiration, I listened to the movie about Coco Chanel.

 The entire process began mid-August.

Wedding Reception at the Four Seasons, Paula's Portrait

I got to paint at a wonderful Wedding Reception, August 18, 2012 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore.  The bride and groom are an amazing couple.  I don't want to gush too much, but the event was very "gushworthy".

Wedding Reception at the Four Seasons, Baltimore, 24x36, Patricia Bennett

 The Beginning, Photo by Suzin Boddiford.

 Almost Done, Photo by Suzin Boddiford.

Today I rested a little, my brain exhausted after trying to capture the energy of last night's celebrations, and worked on the portrait of a lovely neighbor.

Paula, 11x14, Patricia Bennett

And finally I met a very special dog whose portrait I am going to paint.  She will either be sitting on a pillow in front of flowers, or in a niche.  

Eric Waller Vegetable Garden, in progress, 24x36, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

Eric Waller Memorial Vegetable Garden, Patricia Bennett

Eric Waller Vegetable Garden, in progress, 24x36, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

It was a lovely day at the Mt. Washington Vegetable Garden.  The official name of the garden is the Eric Waller Vegetable Garden.

It is quite a garden.  You can see the harvest in the lower right hand corner of the painting.  Over 40 families help out with it, and it's inspiring to see what can come of community spirit under the expert guidance of Larry Kloze, Master Gardener.

No ducks yet.

But the ducks are ready to move in.

These ducks walk on two legs and full-grown are 30 inches tall.  The painting will be complete after I add the ducks...

Note: I just added the completed painting to this blog entry.

Farmers Market, 2

Farmers Market 2, 24x36, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

I painted at the Farmer's Market again, from the same location as last time.  This time I painted the watermelons first, before they got purchased.

Tonight I painted the scene at the Zoll studio, that painting is in progress.

Mount Washington Vegetable Garden

MWGarden, in progress, 24x36, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

 Mount Washington has a wonderful Vegetable Garden, the Eric Waller Mt. Washington Vegetable Garden, and I got to paint the residents in action as they tended it today.  I painted one person, and the rest were done from photos.

MWGarden, beginning, 24x36, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

Alphabet

Alphabet, 5x8, pen and gouache, Patricia Bennett

A pen and gouache, trying for the delicate Aaron Sopher line.

Dinner at Eight

Dinner at Eight, Patricia Bennett, 24x30

Michael2

Michael2, acrylic on paper, 16x20

A second sitting on this at the Zoll studio.  The other artists thought that I was painting with watercolor.

I've been looking at Aaron Sopher's work, a Baltimore artist.  One of his collectors brought over a number of his works for me to look at.  My favorite is one he drew of the Zoo and an elephant.

Scarlet and Brown Starbucks

Starbucks July 29, 2012, Patricia Bennett, 5x7", gouache

Painted on Sunday, after re-visiting the amazing Bellows show in D.C.  A lively group of coffee drinkers.

Starbucks July 30, 2012, Patricia Bennett, 5x7", gouache

Painted on Monday, calmer and more studious.  I looked at Richard Schmid's Landscape book, and was inspired to carefully render the space.

Painted Sketch, and Corporate drawing sketch

Michael 1, 16x20, acrylic on paper, Patricia Bennett

 I did this tonight at the Zoll Studio from a live model.

Corporate Study, 18x24, graphite on paper, Patricia Bennett

A graphite study for the corporate portrait.  I'll work on the expression and add more details.

Farmer's Market, July 22, 2012

Farmers Market July 22, 2012, 24x36, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

I painted the Baltimore Farmer's Market this morning.  I love the location, under the highway.  It's got a gritty Bellows feel.

About fifty people watched me paint, children were the most interested.  One elderly man in a wheelchair wanted to take the painting with him on the bus to the VA Hospital where he resides.

If anyone is interested in signed prints, let me know.

Form

Form, 9x12, Patricia Bennett

This took a long time.  I returned to shapes of shadows.

Painted drawing

Rose, 9x12, Patricia Bennett

I painted in my pencil drawing using my Sargent copy as a guide...

Another Sitting, added color to Sargent copy

Sargent copy with angel and coffee cup in progress, 18x24, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett 

I added some color back in today.

Acrylic is a challenging medium due to its rapid drying time.  Sargent's color mixing seems to be making a massive amount of one tone, then taking that tone and varying its value and tone with subtle additions of other colors.  He uses a warm stroke, then attached to it is a cool stroke.  I noticed this in the hair area, which he treats as tree foliage in his drawings, and in the nose and eyelids...

Second sitting on Sargent copy, added angel sketch

Second sitting Sargent copy with angel and coffee cup, 18x24, acrylic, Patricia Bennett

I added the angel on the girl's shoulder and defined her face with angular brushstrokes.

We went to the George Bellow's exhibit at the National Gallery in D.C.  His work has enormous vitality, especially the boxers.  My favorite are the paintings under the highway in New York City.   They make me want to paint the Farmer's Market in Baltimore which is under I-83.

Sargent copy, started, Black and White

Sargent copy with cup, 18x24, unfinished, acrylic on canvas, Patricia Bennett

For those who know the painting, which is deservedly famous, you will notice that my copy is in black and white.  Color will be added later.  I'm also adding a coffee cup and an angel.

This is the first in a series of Sargent copies with coffee cups and angels added.

I have a Live Painting Event coming up in a couple of weeks at the Ritz...