monotypes for march

printmaking is full of surprises and happy accidents!

woodblock (1) water-based oil on 25 wooden blocks, Philip R. Bennetta, 16 March 2023
woodblock (2) water-based oil on 36 wooden blocks, Philip R. Bennetta, 16 March 2023
paper tree (1) water-based oil on somerset paper, Philip R. Bennetta, 16 March 2023
paper tree (2) water-based oil on somerset paper, Philip R. Bennetta, 16 March 2023

paper tree (3), digital monochrome image, Philip R. Bennetta, 17 March 2023

Monday in January

(happy birthday dear Tess, aged two today)

Monday in January, baby oil and pastel on Somerset paper, P.R. Bennetta, 2023
Parson Tess Russell, aged two today, digital photograph, P.R. Bennetta, 2023

Home By Different Ways

Sorting through artwork and publications, after our recent move back to Walmer, Kent from Cornwall, I came across this book containing some of our work, published in 2016: Home By Different Ways, Community of Poets & Artists Press, 72pages with 32 colour illustrations and 29 poems: limited edition format. The book includes the extended poem Glittering Loss, from a year long arts project in Dover, just down the coast from here, in 2013.

cover

(Home By Different Ways @ £15 each including p&p within the UK. please ask about postage for other regions.)

conversations

recent conversations 1-4

conversations (1) oil and paper on canvas, Philip R. Bennetta 2022

conversations (2) oil and paper on canvas, Philip R. Bennetta 2022

conversations (3) oil and paper on canvas, Philip R. Bennetta 2022

conversations (4) oil and paper on canvas, Philip R. Bennetta 2022

Hannafore by Looe: eight September studies

Hannafore one, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021
Hannafore two, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021
Hannafore three, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021
Hannafore four, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021
Hannafore five, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021

Hannafore six, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021

Hannafore seven, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021
Hannafore eight, oil on prepared Somerset paper, Philip Bennetta, September 2021

missing the moor

A simple contemplation to do with place and memory, reflecting something of the present situation in which we find ourselves; misty, chilly, uncertain and beautiful; missing the moor, with original music on citera and bodhran drum…

mist…

moorland studies (i) – (iv)

These mixed media works are inspired by living and working in a region of outstanding natural beauty and dark skies. For me, they hold a sense of the moor; silent, atmospheric, an emptiness where everything exists…

I am including this series of studies, together with several short films and poetry-music publications, as individual works which contribute to a body of work in 2020 -21.

(i) mixed media (oil on cyanotype prepared Somerset paper, 19cm x 48cm)Philip Bennetta, 2020
(ii) mixed media (oil on cyanotype prepared Somerset paper, 19cm x 48cm) Philip Bennetta, 2020
(iii) mixed media (oil on cyanotype prepared Somerset paper, 19cm x 48cm) Philip Bennetta, 2021
(iv) mixed media (oil on cyanotype prepared Somerset paper, 19cm x 48cm) Philip Bennetta, 2021

Pamphlet Poets

VIRAL – Journal of a Plague Year by poet Michael Curtis is now published and is our latest in the series:

The Pamphlet Poets Series is an imprint of Community of Poets & Artists Press and features hand sewn collections, in the pamphlet style of the 1920’s and 1930’s, by contemporary poets. Some of these unique publications also include original artwork. We published the first pamphlet of the series in 1997 and our most recent in 2021. Here is the full list, with the earliest in the series first:

Louvre Imperial, by W. H. Petty (ISBN 0 9523546 6)

Under the Skin by Narissa Knights (ISBN 0 9523546 7 5)

To be continued… by Philip Bennetta (ISBN 0 9523546 5 9)

Looking for gods by Dawn Gorman (ISBN 0 9523546 9 1)

Going not Gentle by Jean Sealey (ISBN 1-902529-05-07)

Spontaneous Overflow by Stella Jackson (ISBN 1-902529-07-3)

Interpretations of History by W.H. Petty (ISBN 1-902529-09-X)

Bus Dreams by William Hazell (ISBN 1-902529-01-4)

Standing Stone by Natasha Carthew (ISBN 1-902529-02-2)

Airing Cupboard by Barbara Dordi (ISBN 1-902529-03-0)

Henge by Mary Rice (ISBN 1-902529-04-9)

Cafard by Robert Cole (ISBN 1-902529-06-5)

Paths by M.P.A. Sheaffer (ISBN 1-902529-09-X)

Looking for Solutions by Susan Bennetta (ISBN 1-902529-14-6)

Those Marks So Deeply Scored by Philip Bennetta (ISBN 978-1-902529-17-2)

VIRAL Journal of a Plague Year by Michael Curtis (ISBN 978-1-902529-29-5)

Pamphlet Poets

VIRAL – journal of a plague year: a new limited edition publication in our hand sewn Pamphlet Poets series

by poet Michael Curtis.

all sewn up

Congratulations to poet Michael Curtis whose outstanding and sensitive collection VIRALjournal of a plague year is published on the 18 January 2021, by our small not for profit press, as a traditional hand-sewn pamphlet, in the Pamphlet Poets Series. We are delighted to be part of yet another collaboration with Michael, who is an extraordinarily insightful poet and friend.

Dark-Sky Moor…

Bodmin Moor is a remote, rugged, heather, gorse and fern covered upland granite moorland in Cornwall, England. The Moor is the largest unit of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which spans a number of mostly coastal areas in southwest England. It is the first AONB, a type of landscape in the United Kingdom designated for conservation due to its significant value, to receive International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) accreditation for its dark skies.

We live on Bodmin Moor and it is a landscape that inspires my most recent works. Here is Dark-Sky Moor, a work in progress.

Dark-Sky Moor, oil on canvas, Philip Bennetta, 2020 (30cm x 20cm x 4cm)

Hannafore Triptych

Work on paper, based on sketches from last year and a recent visit to Hannafore by Looe (Acadiane Journeys Bodmin Moor to Looe)

Triptych, ink bloc on cyanotype prepared paper, Philip Bennetta September 2020

I prepared this Somerset paper for an edition of cyanotypes. Unfortunately, it became prematurely exposed to light and could not be used in the edition. However, I did not throw the thirty sheets of paper away and, after several experiments, decided to make some new work, based on sketches I have made. Here is Willow, my first experiment with the prepared paper and medium:

Willow
Willow (detail)
original sketch, using ink bloc on cartridge paper

Acadiane

We made a series of films whilst living in France entitled “Acadiane Journeys…” filmed from our Citroen Acadiane van, on journeys in France. All these films have original music and poetry, in English and/or French. We lived in France for eight years, had our studios there and were registered as Artiste Libre. Sadly, when we returned to live in the UK our little French van was sold and something larger purchased to help with the house move. Our van was originally registered in Charente Maritime (17) and today Daisy has returned, an Acadiane from the same region, via Wales! So, more films to come, here’s a link to an earlier one, made in France, when we were struggling with staying or returning to the UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DcHVLDC_Jc

and here is Daisy, just arrived today:

Daisy Acadiane
Daisy Acadiane, showing her roots

Killing of Crow

We had a quiet lock-down, exercising each day near our home, along with other walkers and cyclists, noticing how the birds, animals and wildlife, including escapee sheep, had also taken to our little no-through lane, leading to Siblyback Lake on Bodmin Moor. Then lock-down ended, traffic returned, and it became no longer safe on the lane and walkers stayed away. We find animal corpses most days…

This is our latest Poem by Post, entitled Killing of Crow

Cover of hand-sewn pamphlet
Title page
Artwork and poem
Copyright page and envelope

forty rusty screws project

The studio roof is now fixed and the culprits, 40 rusty screws, is a current work in progress (apparently 95% of the leaks in metal roofs are due to poorly fitted screws, which rust and let water through) 

The opening quotation comes from my published notes in 2019, when I began this project. However, the actual reason the studio roof leaked and the screws became rusty was due to condensation forming within the roof structure, and not rain dripping and pouring in. A new roof, coated with an anti-condensation product, has now replaced the old one. So, with a dry space in which to work, I return to the project and coat each of the rusty screws with two coats of PVA to retain their integrity and history. I then attach these endearing found objects on a golden acrylic canvas, backed with timber, each one secured by a robust U nail…

(Note: If the work were to be hung in a gallery/white space, I would have them attached directly to the wall, as with other work I have made)

forty rusty screws, found objects on canvas, P.R. Bennetta, 2020

something of myself…

untitled, oil on canvas, Philip Bennetta, 2013

I was obviously working on this one metre square painting in 2013, while living in France. I really like it and left something of myself there…

So, here is a photograph of the painting, which is now the work.