David Bent

I was born in Dover in 1950. I think of myself as an image maker whose interests and subjects are the human condition and the Big Issues of our day. I have also a special niche interest in aviation. I am primarily a painter and still believe that the skill of painting and drawing should be valued and maintained. I also use photography and printmaking I have maintained my art practice throughout my life, supporting it through a wide variety of work experiences. I have always travelled extensively, spending long periods of time in many countries including Peru, Costa Rica, India, Nepal and the Gulf Region - always taking photographs, painting, sketching and collecting the ephemera and images that form the foundation of much of my work. I combine my diverse experience with acute powers of observation to create my artworks. Over the past five years my innovative approach to aviation art has established me as a leading artist in this field and has led to a number of invitations to exhibit internationally. My work is held in private and corporate collections around the world. I am happily married to my gorgeous wife Carole and currently lives and works in Wiltshire, England.

I sometimes attended Dover Grammar School for boys and went on to study Art at Wolverhampton College from 1968-72. I thrived there on a training, which reflecting the time, was both traditional and avant-garde.