Splitting her time between Hawaii and California, Carol Bennett (b. 1954) has mastered the art of capturing movement in her enigmatic paintings.
While Bennett has garnered praise for the meditative sensibility that characterizes her paintings as well as a bold use of bright colors, some of her works are more famous than others. In fact, her “Women in Water” series is perhaps her most well-known collection. As its name implies, the series features women swimming. They’re captured from an underwater perspective, and their faces are either out of frame entirely or obscured by the sun-dappled surface of the water, which serves as a showcase for Bennett’s portrayal of the qualities of sunlight. The upper half of each painting is flecked with the blues and greens of the ocean as well as whatever color the subject’s bathing suit happens to be.
The series originated with Bennett sketching swimmers at an athletic club’s pool in Los Angeles, but as her process evolved, her husband, Wayne Zebzda, began to film the artist on her daily swim on Kauai. The resultant images inform her work, but she doesn’t consider these works to be depictions of her in particular.
“I swim seven days a week, and while I don’t consider them self-portraits, I am the swimmer in the paintings,” Bennett has said.
Given her constant proximity to the ocean, it’s no surprise that Bennett is inspired by water’s glassy properties, citing its presence as both “a mirror and then a window.” Her radiant paintings, whether she’s working with oil and shellac on paper or wood panels, allow her to explore sunlight in such a rich and provocative way that it’s as if she endeavors to suspend rays of light above the water’s surface, making them seem as tangible and physical as the swimmers themselves.
Aside from her works that hang on the walls of galleries and museums around the world, Bennett has also painted murals and even a 48-foot photovoltaic solar canopy for the Hawaii State Art Museum Sculpture Garden.
Find Carol Bennett’s paintings on 1stDibs.
$2,900
"MV Spring" abstract figurative oil painting swimmer underwater with orange
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Mixed Media, Cardboard
$1,500
Fish Study, painting, Reverse painting on glass gold leaf, oil, cobalt, water
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Fish Study by Hawaii artist Carol Bennett is a reverse painting on glass artwork. It is Oil, Varnish, Gold Leaf and powdered Cobalt. It is 9x12. Carol Bennett's artwork is a meditative journey through both the water and through life. She is one of the few artists to truly capture what it's like to be in and moving and swimming through the water. For Carol, the act of swimming underwater is similar to the process of painting. Her approach results in multi-layered surfaces that are intricate and textured and unexpected. She is constantly experimenting with her pieces: adding, subtracting, sanding. When she is not painting Swimmers, she is capturing the fish surrounding her. She has created over 100 large public and corporate commissions internationally, and is in private collections around the world. Carol Bennett was recently currently featured in two exhibits at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Networking and Water: Carol Bennett featuring female swimmers, as well as marine nets floating or submerged in water. Bennett was also part of the group exhibit Making Waves highlighting the important role of women artists in the museum’s contemporary collection. In this show, the works by international and Hawaii-based artists all have a relationship to water. Featured artists also included: April Gornik, Agnes Martin, Judy Pfaff, Kiki Smith and Pat Steir! Elisa Contemporary Art...
Gold Leaf
$1,100
"Bad Ass Rose (paper)" Acrylic painting on paper of a white rose with red dots
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
$3,700
"Suzie Q (Paper)" mixed media painting of feet floating in water with reflection
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Mixed Media, Archival Paper
"Heleconia" Abstract Painting, Mixed Media on Glass, 21st Century
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Glass, Mixed Media
$2,600
Waterfall Duet 1, Water, Gold, White, Flowing, Acrylic, Oil, Painting, unframed
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Waterfall Duet 1 is an original waterfall painting by Hawaii artist Carol Bennett. It is reminiscent of the beautiful flowing waterfalls throughout the Hawaiian islands. It is Acry...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Board
$2,600
Waterfall Duet 2, Water, Gold, White, Flowing, Acrylic, Oil, Painting, unframed
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Waterfall Duet 2 is an original waterfall painting by Hawaii artist Carol Bennett. It is reminiscent of the beautiful flowing waterfalls throughout the Hawaiian islands. It is Acry...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Board
"Trigger" Abstract Painting, Mixed Media on Glass, bright colors
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Glass, Mixed Media
"Flame Angel" Abstract mixed media reverse triptych painting behind glass
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Presently I'm working on wood, I'm intrigued by wood grain swirling like water and how that ground moves through the swimmer's form”. Carol graduated from the Art Center College of Design in painting. For some 20 years she split her time between her loft in downtown LA and a beach bungalow in Hawaii- satisfying a passion for culture and the ocean's pull. In LA she painted backdrops...
Gold Leaf
$3,800
Flat, painting inspired by Hawaii Fish, Red, black, Green, Oil, Ink on panel
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Flat is Ink and Oil and Varnish on Wood Panel inspired by the Hawaii Flatfish. It is 20x20 filled with red, orange, black and green. Carol Bennett spends all of her time surrounded...
Ink, Oil, Wood Panel
$7,800
H 45 in W 45 in D 1.5 in
Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Canvas Painting 45x45" The clarity of a shore
By Irena Orlov
Located in Los Angeles, CA
One of a kind Mixed Medium on Canvas Artwork: Original abstract mixed media work on canvas, which combines new media - digital original hand painting, printed on canvas, then hand p...
Canvas, Varnish, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Mixed Media
$400
H 7 in W 7.75 in
Diane Englander, Red and Buff on Orange XI, 2017, Mixed Media
By Diane Englander
Located in Darien, CT
A native New Yorker, Diane had an earlier career including 17 years as a management consultant to local nonprofits concerned with poverty or disenfranchisement; work in NYC governmen...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Cardboard
$320
H 13 in W 11 in
Serie Dibujos Felices 10 - Original Red Blue Watercolor and Ink Artwork on Paper
By "Sergio ""Valenz"" Valenzuela"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sergio Valenzuela “Valenz” is a contemporary Guatemalan artist who tells stories with everyday objects, primarily expressing them with graphite and acrylic on canvas. His artworks pr...
Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper
$975
H 7 in W 7.5 in D 2 in
Margins Of Matter, Abstract Mixed-Media Sculpture Wall Mounted, 7.5 x 7 x 2 in.
By Lisa Pressman
Located in New York, NY
SIGNED ON BACK. Lisa Pressman’s Shape of Memory series transforms cardboard, thread, smoke, and Letraset into evocative wall-mounted works that recall ancient relics or worn book covers. Each shaped panel floats about an inch off the wall, often casting glowing, colored shadows from painted backs that shift with the light. Stitched seams and weathered surfaces suggest scars, resilience, and the passage of time, resonating as personal artifacts of memory and healing. Known for her abstract paintings in oil, encaustic, and mixed media, Pressman’s oeuvre consistently explores impermanence and transformation. With their sculptural presence and luminous effects, these intimate objects blur painting...
Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Cardboard
"Flirtation, " Abstract Painting
By Ned Martin
Located in Westport, CT
This horizontal abstract painting by Ned Martin is made with oil paint and 24K gold leaf on aluminum. The artist's signature square and rectangular patterned composition serves as a ...
Metal, Gold Leaf
$16,216
H 31.25 in W 31.25 in D 2.5 in
The Shambles in York City England Medieval Street Framed, Acrylic on Board, 2007
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
The Shambles in York City England Medieval Street Framed, Acrylic on Board, 2007 - a rare early work by leading British Contemporary Artist, Angela Wakefield. This colourful & energe...
Gesso, Paint, Varnish, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Board
$135,139
H 40 in W 43 in D 2.5 in
Blue Red & Green Abstract Expressionist Painting by British Contemporary Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Blue, Red & Green Abstract Expressionist Painting, entitled 'Tropical City #1', an extremely rare early work from leading British Contemporary Artist...
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...
$6,500
H 50 in W 60 in
Rather Be: Abstract Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas, 2010s, New, 50x60
By Allison Rohland
Located in SEATTLE, WA
Rather Be by Allison Rohland is a richly layered abstract mixed-media painting on canvas with a quiet, atmospheric intensity. Muted mauves, dusty pinks, olive greens, and charcoal to...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$33,784
H 30 in W 40 in D 1.5 in
Abstract Musician in Practice Room Original Painting by Contemporary Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Abstract Musician in Practice Room Original Painting by Contemporary Artist An extremely rare early work from leading British Contemporary Artist, ...
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...
$101,354
H 40 in W 60 in D 2 in
Triptych Abstract Forest Trees Landscape Painting by British Urban Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Early Triptych Abstract Trees Forest Landscape Painting by British Urban Artist, Angela Wakefield. This rare early work is from an intense body of abstract work that formed the very ...
Gesso, Paint, Varnish, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Wood, Board, Wood Panel
"Kitten Bouquet" - Contemporary Mixed-Media Collage on Wood
By Zoa Ace
Located in Denver, CO
Born in Rockford, Illinois, 1951 Zoa Ace creates figurative oil paintings that explore human relationships through theatrical narratives infused with symbolic animals and whimsical...
Canvas, Oil
"Alice & the Piglet" - Contemporary Surrealist Pop Collage on Wood
By Zoa Ace
Located in Denver, CO
Born in Rockford, Illinois, 1951 Zoa Ace creates figurative oil paintings that explore human relationships through theatrical narratives infused with symbolic animals and whimsical...
Oil, Wood
Sold
H 22 in W 30 in
"Light Catcher" Woman in white bathing suit at play under water
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
India Ink, Oil, Acrylic
Sold
H 12 in W 12 in
"Diamonds" Abstract oil painting with water sparkling white and orange
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Oil, Cardboard
Sold
H 5 in W 8.5 in
"Listening (Paper)" Figurative abstract oil painting of people in the ocean
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. P...
Oil, Handmade Paper
Sold
H 20 in W 20 in
"Beachwalker (In the Light)" abstract painting of silhouette, glistening ocean
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Oil, Cardboard
Sold
H 22 in W 30 in
"Time Out (paper)" abstract painting of a woman swimming under teal water
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
Abstract mixed media painting of a woman swimming under teal water "I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer ...
Paper, Oil
Sold
H 48 in W 36 in
"Om/Mom" Black and white abstract seascape of figures in the ocean
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
Black and white abstract oil painting of figures in the ocean with a resin finish. "I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drift...
Resin, Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 46 in W 46 in
"Kissing the Ground" Abstract oil painting of a woman in a red suit under water
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
Abstract oil painting of a woman in a red suit under blue water. "I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer se...
Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 22 in W 30 in
"Fresh Water Drops" Black and white oil painting on paper of ripples in water
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
Black and white oil painting on paper of ripples in water. "I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series"...
Paper, Oil
Sold
H 24 in W 24 in
Salmon Study, Mixed Media work on paper, Swimmer, Water, Coral, Orange, floating
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Salmon Study by Hawaii artist Carol Bennett is Oil and Shellac on Paper, 22x22. It is framed to 24x24. Carol Bennett spends all of her time surrounded by water, and a great deal wi...
Varnish, Oil, Archival Paper