Carol Benally

Originally from Boston, my earliest recollection of being an artist was being inspired by Sargent's, Rembrandt's, and Ruben's paintings at the Elizabeth Gardner Museum and and Museum of Fine Arts. My parents were a source of support in the arts and they encouraged painting in grade school and continued private classes in high school. Later I earned a B.F.A from Massachusetts College of Art and I also attended Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA.

I was always inspired by the famous woman painter, Georgia O'Keefe, for her large iconic Southwest images, and her independent personality. Everywhere I look there is a painting to be painted. I am inspired by land formations, the sky, light and shadow. I don't look for details like a camera's eye, but I strive for painting the impact of a scene, you know, when you turn your head because something catches your eye. I want my paintings to demand attention from across the room and I strive to create simplicity so you see the power of the shape, and angles and the shadows.

I have been especially influenced by Edgar Payne, Maynard Dixon and Arthur Wesley Dow.