Tocqueville Society Live Painting Inner City Baltimore School

Cover of Tocqueville Society's 2018 Book featuring Live Painting by Patricia Bennett

Inset of the Tocqueville Society's 2018 Book

End of Day, Live Painting of Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School Children Playing, photo by Patricia Bennett

Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School Children Playing, painted by Patricia Bennett

The United Way of Central Maryland's Senior Vice President and Chief Principal Gifts Officer Holly Hoey called me in March 2018 to see if I'd be interested in painting children playing on the playground at one of the struggling schools in Baltimore City, a school that the United Way has been involved with, The Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School.

sketch of the playground composition, by Patricia Bennett

I was thrilled and honored to be thought of for this.  The painting of these children playing was going to be used as the cover of the book for the generous people of the Tocqueville Society, a special group of donors to the United Way of Central Maryland.

My homework was to see the playground.  The playground depicted would be at the Boys and Girls Club next to the school, as it was a very nice playground.  Natalie Dixon showed me the area in April.  I took photos and did sketches and figured out a design for the painting which fit the format of the book (the center of the painting was to be the spine of the book, so I made that a pole on the playset, and there needed to be symmetry to the activity in the painting.)


May 3, 2018 was the day.  I arrived around 9:30am and started painting.  I had an umbrella to keep off the sun.  The children arrived with their teachers and Holly from the United Way and ran and played.  It was a very hot day.  They were extremely curious about the painting and enjoyed finding themselves and their classmates in it.

Patricia Bennett painting Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School children playing, photo by Holly Hoey

Patricia Bennett with some of the Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School children depicted in the painting, photo by Holly Hoey

It was a delightful experience for me to meet these children and to be involved in a small way in the wonderful work that the United Way is doing.

Thank you to everyone at the United Way, especially Holly Hoey and Natalie Dixon.  And whoever designed the book is incredibly talented. 



United Way of Central Maryland
1800 Washington Boulevard, Suite 340
Baltimore, MD 21230
Phone: 410-547-8000

Maree Garnett Farring Elementary School
300 Pontiac Ave, Brooklyn, MD  21225, United States

Boys and Girls Club
3560 3rd Street
Brooklyn, Maryland 21225

Four Seasons Baltimore Lobby Painting

Painting of the Four Seasons Baltimore Lobby, ©Patricia Bennett 2015

This painting was created for the General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore.  He asked me to paint something symbolic of this beautiful, modern hotel as an image to use for cards for guests.

The Four Seasons Baltimore's lobby flowers are designed by J.J. Cummings Floral Design.

I painted on location several times in the lobby and worked on the painting in the studio.  The entire process took over a year.

Many hotel guests stopped to look at my painting and speak to me about it and their love of art.  A Prince showed me a beautiful photo he'd had taken of the lobby and he gave me a piece of chocolate.  The staff were really friendly and helpful, too.

J.J. Cummings Floral Design address: 500 Light St, Baltimore, MD 21202
The Four Seasons Baltimore address: 200 International Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 U.S.A

Pier 5, Baltimore, MD Wedding and Reception Painting

©Patricia Bennett, 2014. Wedding Reception at Pier 5, 24x36", acrylic on canvas.

Congratulations to the Bride and Groom, and to their families!

Pier 5 is adjacent to the Marriott Waterfront Hotel and the Four Seasons Hotel and it has a spectacular view.  There is also a historic lighthouse and grove of trees that can be seen from the windows.  Guests can go onto the balcony and look over the Inner Harbor.

The Wedding Ceremony was on the first floor, I did not paint that live as it was too far to move the easel, but I photographed it and added a small montage later.  The couple's cat is under the table.

The bride has striking red hair, as well as her sister: she is dancing with her husband near center, and her sister is in purple nearby.  The mother of the bride is in red, and the father of the bride is behind her.

The Hotel Staff was very helpful.  And the photographer, Brea, was great.  The servers were also very nice and cared a lot about making people happy.  They gave me coffee, which was great.  The mother of the bride did floral decorations: orchids from Whole Foods in vases with colored glass, and these were impressive.

The Four Seasons, Baltimore

At the Four Seasons Hotel, Baltimore.

11x14, Patricia Bennett, watercolor on paper, The Four Seasons Lobby

I sat on a wooden bench in the lobby and drew for a couple of hours.  

While I was drawing the flower display, the florist arrived and took all of the flowers away!  He replaced the pink roses with small orange pumpkins.  

Perhaps the image would be better cropped.  A try below.  I will begin a formal painting of the scene in the next few weeks.

Cropped, Patricia Bennett, The Four Seasons of Baltimore Lobby

Or perhaps some more cropping...

Cropped again, Patricia Bennett, The Four Seasons of Baltimore Lobby

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!

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.