BENEDICT DOONAN
I'm a painter based in Somerset in the South West of England. I am a realist painter and my paintings feature manmade structures sitting within landscapes with a particular focus on light and shadow to create and enhance the forms I see. I'm aiming to create a heightened sense of reality within the paintings so that the structural elements look both familiar and slightly alien.
The paintings you can see here feature a variety of subject. Many of the paintings come from a series of images I made of lifeguard tower. These are commonly found throughout the world but many of the series feature the iconic light blue station that can be found on the Californian coastline. These structures have totemic quality which is partly a result of their location and their isolation. They just sit facing the sea in all weathers, day and night and this imbues them with an odd other-worldliness. They are also drenched in beautiful coastal light and feature weather beaten wood painted an array of different colours.
I frequently document the creation of paintings using my Instagram feed so if you want to see the process in more detail follow me using the button on the main menu.
Awards
Bath Society of Artists Prize 2018