Gyosen (Japanese Fishing Boat) Painting

I believe that producing art is a spiritual activity. The artist acts as a kind of lens by which subject matter is filtered and then deposited in a visual material form. That lens is the essence of who we are as individuals, how we perceive the world, what our own likes and dislikes are and even our emotional state. My own art has gone through periods of experimentation and change as my life changed and as I changed with it. I studied painting in college where I received my B.F.A. with concentrations in painting and photography. My early influences were the German and French expressionists, Georges Rouault in particular. I also became influenced by the early works of my Grandfather Nolan P. Benner Jr. who was a very prolific painter. His late 50’s and early 60’s works are among my favorites. I adopted my current style towards the end of 2013. I make use of entirely pallet knife on top of a brushed underpainting. The pallet knife causes a great reduction in fine detail and allows for a rough, very impasto technique. My goals in painting are to render imagery as emotional expressions of the scene or subject matter. I find that while a certain amount of detail is important, fine details tend to distract from the message that the colors and textures give. My subject matter comes from things that I find interesting or enjoy, or even from my travels. Much of my marine related art comes from my love of the ocean; I enjoy diving and spent many years surfing. Sometimes religious subject matter becomes wonderful expressions of my spiritual journey.