Artist in focus: Kate Bentley Art
ARTIST IN FOCUS: KATE BENTLEY
Kate Bentley’s award-winning artwork blends emotion, light, and personal history, inviting viewers to explore deeper stories through her vibrant and intricate paintings.
by Danielle Murphy
Kate Bentley is an award-winning artist that produces stunning artwork. Yielding inspiration from everyday life and working primarily from her own imagination, her work speaks volumes.
Kate’s creative process is rooted in experimentation and personal experience. Her way of working means she constantly revisits her work, allowing for new ideas and inspiration. She explained:
“I usually have between 20 and 40 paintings in progress at any given time. Working with oils means they need drying time and it allows me to rotate and enhance others. Stepping back and then returning to a painting allows for new perspectives.”
Her paintings often explore themes of emotion and personal history, her keen eye allows her to capture both light and shadow in a way that adds drama and depth. When you observe her paintings you’ll notice the layers and intricacy.
A master of both the human form and nature, Kate blends her love for both in her vibrant, detailed pieces. Using colour and light to display both the emotional and physical states in the subjects within the painting.
As a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI), Kate’s art has earned recognition for its emotional depth and powerful use of light. From nighttime scenes of the ocean that capture the water just perfectly to incoming storms on the horizon where you can almost feel the wind blowing.
Her advice to aspiring artists is simple: “Paint what you feel, not what you think others want.”
She encourages artists to stay true to their passion and create for the joy of it.
When Outside Becomes Inside. Oil on Panel. 100x140cm
Kate Bentley’s work stands out for its unique combination of technical mastery, emotional resonance, and constant evolution. Her paintings are not just visual experiences but invitations to explore the deeper stories within them.
Kate has organised an exhibition which will take place at Gallery North West in Brampton called ‘Up Close and Personal’ where a group of fellow female artists were asked to present a piece of work that represents them in some way. Whether it’s simply just something that they love to paint or create or something exceptionally personal to them the brief was basically do whatever you want.
Kate said: “Often, as professional artists we create what is wanted, what is popular and what will sell, and alot of the time we miss the opportunities to create what we really love. I just wanted to give a group of artists total freedom and see what they come up with. Its very exciting and we’re looking forward to seeing what will be presented at the exhibition.”
Up Close and Personal; May 17th – 10th June.
Gallery North-West, Front Street, Brampton, CA8 1NG.
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