Art Commissioning Vouchers Now Available!

Hey, guess what?! No, not that... That's disgusting. No, I now do vouchers! I don't know why I didn't think of this years ago, really, but if you've ever really wanted to commission a piece of artwork as a birthday, Christmas or wedding present, but haven't been too sure what the recipient would like, or you're not sure there's enough time, I have the solution! Art gift vouchers.

Sample Art Gift Voucher

So, if you want to gift a friend or family member some fully bespoke artwork, a pet portrait or human portrait, but aren't sure which photo to use, let the recipient choose!

Please contact me via my website, www.artbylukebennett.com if you are interested.

A Recently Commissioned Pet Portrait

Hello Dear Reader,

Once again, this blog has been neglected. This probably goes without saying by now as with every new post it's been a while since the last. It's not that I haven't been painting or taking commissions... It's more that a lot of my time and attention goes into making sure my customers are happy with their paintings, rather than into marketing myself online.

Phew, got out of that one. Anyway, I'm sorry Blog, I never meant to hurt you so.

Above is a recent pet portrait commissioned by a customer from Solihull. It depicts their family pet dog and was gratefully received by the commissioner and their family member who received it as a surprise gift.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The photo supplied was very clear and high resolution, which meant I was able to put in a lot of detail and get a very good likeness, without having to guess, or to make assumptions about how the subject actually looks in real life! You may laugh, but I get asked to do portraits from some, shall we say, GODAWFUL photographs that are not in any way representative of the subject. You know who you are... ;)

If you would like to commission a pet portrait, or a human portrait for that matter, please visit my website - www.artbylukebennett.com.
Keen-eyed followers may notice that the website has received a bit of an overhaul, a fresh lick of paint as it were. I've spent a couple of days tidying things up, out with the old black and gold layout and in with a fresher, cleaner look. I like it, I hope you will too!

Wedding Portrait Art

I recently was asked to produce a painting as a wedding gift. The painting was commissioned by the brother of the groom who, in his own words, could not get excited by the standard items on the wedding gift list. So, although his gift was a little late for the wedding itself, it was hopefully one of the more original presents that the bride and groom received.

The painting was based on one of the wedding photographer's photos. The original photo had more going on in the background, with guests excitedly watching the couple's first dance. However, I thought it would make for a nicer painting if the only focus was the newly married couple - as if they were the only people in the world for that one special moment. 

Consequently, I kept things simple and went for a black background with the spotlight on the couple's warm embrace.

To commission your own portrait painting as a wedding gift, please get in touch here or through artbylukebennett.com

Portrait of a Wedding

This recent pencil portrait was commissioned by a friend of the couple's children to celebrate their wedding day. Also as a loving tribute to the groom, who sadly was terminally ill at the time of the wedding. As such, it was quite an emotional piece to be involved in and I felt a weight of responsibility to do the photo and occasion justice. 

What I hope comes through is the happiness and affection from the day caught in the original photograph.

To commission a pencil portrait or to see more of my work, please visit artbylukebennett.com.

My Lovely Horse

Anyone familiar with Father Ted will be well aware of the song I had stuck in my head for a significant part of this painting...

Whilst, not being my horse, this was my first horse painting. That I can remember... I may well have painted a horse as a child in a very rudimentary fashion, given my love of cowboy films at a young age, but this has been my first horse painting as an adult. It's certainly my first pet portrait commission to feature three different animals in one scene. And a landscape.

For those reasons, it has in some ways been one of my most challenging commissions so far, and the most rewarding.

My customer wanted to surprise their loved one with a special birthday present featuring all three pets. However, there were no usable photos with all three animals in the one shot. I had to use a little artistic license therefore to produce a composite image. This license continued with the landscape, which I felt might look quite cool with a more stylistic interpretation.

Horse portrait

Horse and dogs portrait

Pet Portraits by Luke Bennett

I really enjoyed creating this piece, particularly painting the horse, as it was pretty new to me. I applied a fairly heavy gloss at the end as it seemed to suit the scene.

I received some genuinely lovely feedback too. As always, if you want to commission your own portrait - pet, human or otherwise - please do not hesitate to visit artbylukebennett.com and get in touch!

An Offer You Can't Refuse - Commission a Pencil Portrait!

This pencil portrait was commissioned recently as an 80th birthday present. It shows the birthday boy back in the 50s, looking a little bit like a member of the Corleone family*. I really like the end result, the image is quite striking and very evocative of the time.

Whilst the reference photo was a strong one in terms of look and character, the size of the image made the sketch a little more challenging, as there was not a huge amount of detail to work with. This meant that I had to use a lot of artistic license in order to make up for the lack of visual fidelity.

If you want to make me an offer I can't refuse, please get in touch via my website, www.artbylukebennett.com where you can view more original artwork or commission a portrait.

*I'm certain the resemblance is purely superficial.

Pet Portrait - Coda the puppy

It's been a while since I've posted, but not for lack of arty output. I've kept my evenings busy for the last few months doing various commissions. One of my recent favourites is this acrylic on canvas puppy portrait of Coda, a cute little German Shepherd. I say 'little'... She's actually huge now, but just as cute.

The portrait painting was commissioned as a surprise gift from one of Coda's owners to the other.

I enjoyed this painting as I had free reign to make it as 'painty' as I wanted, so I happily slapped on the paint thickly and loosely. The result is a painting that looks different from every angle with the gloss reflecting boldly in the light off the highly textured surface.

If you are interested in commissioning a pet portrait, please visit my website, www.artbylukebennett.com

Pet Cat Portrait Painting

Here is a scan of a pet portrait I completed and sold in the run up to Christmas. It is acrylic paint on box stretch canvas measuring approximately 16 inches wide by 12 inches high and about two thirds of an inch deep (406mm x 305mm x 14mm), glossed and ready to hang or place in a frame.

To commission your own artwork, pet portrait, family portrait or anything else, please get in touch via the contact form here or over at artbylukebennett.com.

Happy New Year 2013! - Here's a horse pencil sketch.

Happy New Year, followers of artbylukebennett.com. Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2013. I hope everyone who ordered a commission or fine art print as a Christmas present was pleased with their finished piece, and the gift receivers equally so. Thank you for your custom!

I hope to continue taking lots of commission throughout the next year, improving my skills and furthering my artistic endeavours.

Below is one of the pet portraits I completed in the run up to Christmas, a pet horse in pencil on paper, measuring approximately 9 x 9 inches.

Small, personalised gifts are always nice to receive I think, and by all accounts the recipient in this case was delighted with the sketch of her horse.

Kenilworth Rotary Club Art and Design Craft Show 2012

I've just spent the last hour or so preparing (printing out labels and making everything presentable) for the annual art exhibition organised by the Rotary Club of Kenilworth, taking place at the Holiday Inn this weekend, 16th - 18th November 2012. As well as art from over 60 different artists there will also be lots of hands on demonstrations. 

Further details can be found via the link below.

"The Art & Design Craft Show, which is promoted by The Rotary Club of Kenilworth, is a 3-day event that will take place between 16th and 18th November. The aim is to bring the community together, help to promote local artists and encourage young talent from local schools."

I'll have three original pieces of artwork on show and a selection of giclée photographic prints for sale, including the shots below.

All lovely and autumnal/wintery respectively. Aww. So please say hi if you see me there or if you are interested in commissioning some artwork; pet portrait, family portrait or otherwise.

Summer's Here!

Oh wait, no, it's gone again. But boy was it nice whilst it lasted.

Yes, the sun made a timely appearance last week - just when weeks of seemingly nonstop rainfall were on the verge of breaking the spirit of many good men - bringing with it a proper taste of summer. Or at least the type of summer most of us long for in Britain.

Knowing deep down that there was no way it would last, I made the most of it, leaving my canvas and paintbrush inside and venturing out, camera in hand for lots of  long walks around the Warwick and Solihull countryside.

The following photos were taken in the footpaths of Berkswell Village, where the wheat fields were in full bloom. I took most of the shots between 8pm and 9pm when the sun was setting, using a tripod and some long exposures (some longer than others, with the aid of a built in ND filter). This has brought out the natural light really well, with some interesting colours and shadows.

I'm really happy with the way they've turned out. To see more of the set visit my Art By Luke Bennett Flickr page. As always, for more original artwork, fine art prints and photographs, or to commission a portrait or pet portrait, visit my website, artbylukebennett.com.