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
$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
$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
"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
$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
$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
"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
"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
$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
"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
$8,200
H 36 in W 36 in D 1.5 in
Moon Rabbit - Realist Animal Portrait of Hare with patterns and colored dots
By Michele Mikesell
Located in Dallas, TX
Moon Rabbit Oil on canvas 36 × 36 inches 91 × 91 cm Michele Mikesell’s Moon Rabbit is an enchanting portrait of transformation and quiet mysticism. Against a softly layered ivory b...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Coral Column
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Alongside my wife Nansi, I have been lucky to explore some of the most beautiful and pristine coral reefs in the world. People often think we take pictures of the corals and paint them, but that is far from our process, which involves (at least in this case) working from an abstract design and weaving in memories and imagination until I had this image resolved. This painting is scheduled to be a part of our (Nansi’s and mine) international museum exhibition highlighting the beauty and fragility of our coral reef ecosystems, kicking off at the new ICONIC Museum in Texas in 2024. David C. Gallup has devoted his life to the study, teaching, and creation of art. He graduated from Otis/Parsons in Los Angeles in 1990, and soon found himself supervising a staff of over thirty artists under pop art legend Hiro Yamagata on the Earthly Paradise collection and other projects. He began plein-air painting on mornings, weekends and after work, and eventually left his friend and patron Yamagata to pursue a career as a gallery artist. For over a decade, he was the Vice President of the historic California Art Club...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,150
H 18 in W 24 in
Space Talk - Original Textural Layered Figurative Abstract Shapes Colorful Art
By Jonas Fisch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swedish artist Jonas Fisch’s imagery is vibrantly buzzing with colorful commentary on society - past and present - morphed into figures, words, and shapes. His heavily layered canvas...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$8,000
H 30 in W 40 in D 1.5 in
"Shark Bait" Original Mixed Media Abstract Animal Painting, Textured, Dogs, 2026
By Lesley Anne Spowart
Located in Carmel, CA
Lesley Anne Spowart (American, born 1957) "Shark Bait" 2026 Acrylic paint, oil stick, and mixed media on cradled wood panel Signature in the bottom left corner. Signed and dated on v...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Oil Crayon, Stretcher Bars
Collace-Metamorphoses
By Svetlana Saratova
Located in Zofingen, AG
This collage is made on thick cardboard. I used dried pieces after filling the paintings with liquid acrylic. I also used acrylic felt-tip pens, white and gold, to connect the compos...
Cardboard, Mixed Media
Bloom of Power
By Iryna Kobzar
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Bloom of Power" is a visual manifesto of inner energy, passion, and unstoppable forward movement. At the center of the composition is a fiery red horse captured in a dynamic leap, l...
Gold Leaf
$18,250
H 36 in W 27 in D 3 in
"Hutch Seaview New Port" Bunnies on White Background Oil Painting Antique Frame
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful composition of one of Slonem's most iconic subjects, Bunnies. This piece depicts 4 gestural figures of Bunnies against a white background. Inspired by nature and a genuin...
Oil, Wood Panel
$8,000
H 40 in W 30 in D 1.5 in
"Canines in Situ" - Bright Colorful Contemporary Mixed Media Dog Abstract Art
By Lesley Anne Spowart
Located in Carmel, CA
Lesley Anne Spowart (American, born 1957) "Canines in Situ" 2025 Acrylic Paint, Oil Paint, Mixed Media, Paper, Glue, Wood Panel The artist signed the bottom left and the back of the ...
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Paper, Glue
$14,000
H 25 in W 21 in D 1.5 in
"Zebra Swallowtail" Multicolored Butterflies on French Pink Background Framed
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful composition of one of Slonem's most iconic subjects, Butterflies. This piece depicts multicolor yellow and white delicate butterflies in ascension placed in a wonderful F...
Oil, Wood Panel
$700
H 14 in W 11 in D 0.1 in
"Her Way" Gold Silver Bronze Figure in Gown Haute Couture Oil Painting on Paper
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Mixed Media, Oil, Archival Paper
$4,500
H 50 in W 56 in
Happiest Place on Earth - Large Monochrome Contemporary Abstract Painting
By Harrison Gilman
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Oil, Charcoal, Mixed Media
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