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.
$4,200
Dripping in Diamonds, Swimmer, Water, Work on board, Pastel, Shimmering, Light
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Dripping in Diamonds is a water and figurative artwork featuring swimmers in the water. It is a Pastel on archival board. It is the first time in 30 years Bennett has created artwo...
Pastel, Board
$13,200
"Cerulean" woman in red bathing suit swims to the surface of bright blue 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...
Canvas, Oil
$22,000
"Dripping in Diamonds" black and white, swimmers, ocean, sunlight, diamonds
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
$5,100
"Slide Right (Paper)" figurative oil painting of swimmer underwater red swimsuit
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, Paper
"Still Water" Bright red and blue scene of swimmer on water surface on panel.
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
$24,000
"SUSPENSE" horizontal painting of a woman in red gliding beneath the 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, Wood Panel
"Hannah's Back" oil painting of a woman swimming underwater in red suit
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
"Flow (paper)" Abstract painting of a woman in a blue pool
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
Abstract oil painting of a woman in a blue pool. "I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has follow...
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
$4,700
Hannah's Window, Swimmer, Water, Work on Paper, Red Swimsuit, Female Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Hannah's Window is a figurative artwork featuring a female swimmer in a red bathing suit moving through the water. It is a mixed media painting on painted wood grained paper. Artwork is 26 x 20. It is framed to 32 x 26 with a white frame. This is part of the latest series by Hawaii artist, Carol Bennett. Carol Bennett spends all of her time surrounded by water, and a great deal within it. Her work is a meditative journey through both the water and through life. She is intrigued by how life continues to flow and change, being both in the moment and timeless. The viewer will experience being in a state “flow” – where the currents of the ocean suspend life and self, and the unexpected floats to the surface. Carol's work has been featured in many solo and group exhibits throughout California, New York, Martha's Vineyard and Hawaii including a 2007 solo show at the First Hawaiian Center at the Contemporary Museum of Art (Honolulu) and a 2018 group show "Making Waves" exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Her work was seen alongside April Gornik, Agnes Martin, Kiki Smith, and Pat Steir. In 2019, she was also featured in exhibits at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, the Hawaii State Art Museum and a solo exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art. She has been featured in Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, Ocean Home Magazine and the New York Times. Carol's artwork has also been featured in Designer Showhouses in Westchester NY and the Hamptons, and is part of public and private collections around the world. Elisa Contemporary Art...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$3,500
"See Water (Bottles) oil painting of a woman swimming underwater with red suit
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
$3,300
"Gesture (Paper)" mixed media painting of a figure in orange suit in teal 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...
Mixed Media, Archival Paper
$28,000
"Archer" swimmer in white bathing suit reflection in the water submarine blues
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 Pastel, India Ink, Oil, Wood Panel, 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
$10,500
Malibu Dawn Patrol, Surfer, Water, Painting, Blue, Orange, Male Figure, Waves
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Malibu Dawn Patrol is a figurative artwork featuring a male surfer catching a wave. It is a mixed media painting. Artwork is 31.5 x 31.5. This is part of the latest series by Ha...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$7,500
"Rose Blush", young woman swimming underwater in a pink bathing suit, summer
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, Wood Panel
$24,850
"Kissing the Ground" abstract oil painting of woman in red suit under blue 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...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Orange You Drifting" oil painting of a woman floating in a turquoise pool
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
$23,000
"Summer Traveler" oil painting of a woman in red bikini in turquoise 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...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Soft Water" woman in white bathingsuit glides through the 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. P...
Canvas, Oil
$3,300
"Yellow There (Paper)" mixed media painting of a woman in gold suit in blue pool
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
"Blue Board" Ink and Oil Woman on a surfboard held up by another woman.
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
$7,200
"Women Holding Up Women/Indian Summer" mixed media painting of surfer, 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, Paper
$8,200
"Women Holding Up Women/Baby Blue" Blue and gold mixed media painting of surfer
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, Paper
$7,500
"Lotus Action Figure" Abstract oil painting of woman in lotus pose in blue pool
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
Abstract oil painting of a woman in lotus pose in a blue pool. “I have an open and free-wheeling approach to technique and materials: hypothesis, experiment and conclusion…I am intr...
Oil, Wood Panel
$8,200
"Women Holding Up Women/Green Flash" mixed media painting, surfer, orange, blue
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, Paper
$800
H 9 in W 7 in D 1.5 in
Leaving Orange Pt. 1 (2020) Oil on panel sunrise sunset cityscape urban skyscape
By Francesca Reyes
Located in Jersey City, NJ
"Leaving Orange Pt. 1" (2020) by Francesca Reyes Oil painting on wood panel, urban skyscape, sunrise or sunset Figurative Art / Representations of Architecture / Cityscapes and City Scenes / Dark Colors Small scale vertical contemporary landscape, cityscape. Moody color tones of a Philadelphia...
Pastel, Oil, Wood Panel, Graphite
$2,328
H 29.93 in W 48.04 in D 1.97 in
French Contemporary Art by M.-P. Autonne - Vue de ma Fenêtre
By Marie-Pierre Autonne
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic & oil on wooden panel Marie-Pierre Autonne is a French artist born in 1960 who lives & works in Angers, France. She studied at Penninghen in Paris, France. She work...
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Period Italian Signed Landscape Painting
By Demetrio Tabacco
Located in Roma, IT
The great art historian Federico Zeri said that painting snow-covered landscapes was one of the most complicated things for an artist. Well, in this landscape of the Piedmont country...
Canvas, Pastel
$3,500
H 41 in W 31 in D 2 in
The Three Philadelphians, Large-Scale Modern Figurative Cityscape
By Dick Crispo
Located in Soquel, CA
The Three Philadelphians, Large-Scale Modern Figurative Cityscape Bold color creates tension and arrests the eye of the viewer in Dick Crispo's "Porto Rican Trilogy." (Puerto Rican). Saturated colors are achieved through layering and painterly application. Among the three figures is Roberto Clemente...
Acrylic, Cardboard, India Ink
$800
H 21.5 in W 14.5 in
Red Mono Figure: Contemporary Mixed Media Figurative painting by John Emanuel
By John Emanuel
Located in Brecon, Powys
Very pretty Emanuel pose. "it is the figure , not the nude I am interested in..." J Emanuel Image 20.5" x 14" Matted 25.5" x 19" Signed Originally from Bury, in the North of Engl...
Mixed Media
$4,831
H 19.69 in W 39.38 in
Furstemberg 2 by Guillaume Chansarel - Urban landscape painting, Paris cityscape
By Guillaume Chansarel (Guiyome)
Located in Paris, FR
Furstemberg 2 is a unique painting by French contemporary artist Guillaume Chansarel. The painting is made with Ink and acrylic on old book pages mounted on canvas, dimensions are 50...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Magazine Paper
$2,500
H 30 in W 24 in D 1.75 in
All Dressed Up - 24"x30", Expressive, Feminine Painting, Black, White, Beige
By Andrea Stajan-Ferkul
Located in Mississauga, Ontario
Pearls are featured in this engaging interplay of paint, pencil and textile collage. The combination of intricate detail and loose intuitive paint strokes, communicates an ethereal i...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Canvas, Textile
$4,482
H 25.6 in W 31.89 in
Jacques II by Guillaume Chansarel - Contemporary Painting, Paris Street at Night
By Guillaume Chansarel (Guiyome)
Located in Paris, FR
Jacques II is a unique painting by French contemporary artist Guillaume Chansarel. The painting is made with ink and acrylic on old book pages mounted on canvas, dimensions are 65 × ...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Magazine Paper
$1,165
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in D 1.58 in
French Contemporary Art by M.-P. Autonne - Le Bleu des Horizons
By Marie-Pierre Autonne
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic and oil on wooden panel Marie-Pierre Autonne is a French artist born in 1960 who lives & works in Angers, France. She studied at Penninghen in Paris, France. She worked for ...
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$600
H 23.63 in W 19.69 in D 1.19 in
Georgian Contemporary Art by Nino Tolomashvili - Portrait
By Nino Tolomashvili
Located in Paris, IDF
Mixed media on canvas Nino Tolomashvili is a Georgian painter born in 2003 who lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. After completing her schooling, she pursued her studies at the Tb...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Maximilien Luce La Cueilleuse de Fruits
By Maximilien Luce
Located in Dallas, TX
Maximilien Luce (French, 1858-1941) La Cueilleuse de Fruits oil on newsprint laid down to board signed Luce (lower right) Sight: 13 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (34.3 x 16.5cm) Frame: 17.5 x 10 I...
Oil, Newsprint
$4,191
H 15.75 in W 31.5 in
At the foot of Montmartre by G. Chansarel, Urban View Painting, Paris at Night
By Guillaume Chansarel (Guiyome)
Located in Paris, FR
At the foot of Montmartre is a painting by contemporary French artist Guillaume Chansarel from the series Paris night. This artwork presents a nocturnal street scene and depicts a na...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Magazine Paper
Sold
H 18 in W 16 in D 2.5 in
"Water Lotus" Oil painting of a woman in orange swimming in green 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...
Oil Pastel, India Ink, Oil, Wood Panel
Sold
H 36 in W 36 in
"Sea Water (Bottles)" painting of a woman swimming in a red bathing suit
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...
Resin, Oil, Wood Panel, Cardboard
Sold
H 22.5 in W 30 in
"SUSPENSE on paper" painting of a woman in red suit gliding beneath the 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, Paper
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 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 18 in W 23 in
"Lift and Glide (Paper)" figurative oil of swimmer underwater white bathing suit
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, Paper
Sold
H 18 in W 18 in
"Rachel Shashay" Textured painting of a woman swimming underwater
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, Cardboard
Sold
H 20 in W 24.5 in D 1.5 in
Lift, Swimmer, Water, Work on board, Pastel, Blue, Female Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Lift is a figurative artwork featuring a female swimmer through the water. It is a Pastel on archival board. It is the first time in 30 years Bennett has created artwork with pastels. The Artwork is 16" x 20.5". It is framed to 20" x 24.5" with a white frame. Carol Bennett spends all of her time surrounded by water, and a great deal within it. Her work is a meditative journey through both the water and through life. She is intrigued by how life continues to flow and change, being both in the moment and timeless. The viewer will experience being in a state “flow” – where the currents of the ocean suspend life and self, and the unexpected floats to the surface. Carol's work has been featured in many solo and group exhibits throughout California, New York, Martha's Vineyard and Hawaii including a 2007 solo show at the First Hawaiian Center at the Contemporary Museum of Art (Honolulu) and a 2018 group show "Making Waves" exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Her work was seen alongside April Gornik, Agnes Martin, Kiki Smith, and Pat Steir. In 2019, she was also featured in exhibits at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, the Hawaii State Art Museum and a solo exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art. She also just completed a 40 piece glass panel commission at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. She has been featured in Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, Ocean Home...
Pastel, Board
Sold
H 32 in W 40 in D 1.5 in
Light Catcher, Swimmer, Water, Work on board, Pastel, Blue, Female Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Light Catcher is a figurative artwork featuring a female swimmer through the water. It is a Pastel on archival board. It is the first time in 30 years Bennett has created artwork with pastels. The Artwork is 32" x 40". It is framed to 40" x 48" with a white frame. This is new 2023 work by Hawaii artist, Carol Bennett. Carol Bennett spends all of her time surrounded by water, and a great deal within it. Her work is a meditative journey through both the water and through life. She is intrigued by how life continues to flow and change, being both in the moment and timeless. The viewer will experience being in a state “flow” – where the currents of the ocean suspend life and self, and the unexpected floats to the surface. Carol's work has been featured in many solo and group exhibits throughout California, New York, Martha's Vineyard and Hawaii including a 2007 solo show at the First Hawaiian Center at the Contemporary Museum of Art (Honolulu) and a 2018 group show "Making Waves" exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Her work was seen alongside April Gornik, Agnes Martin, Kiki Smith, and Pat Steir. In 2019, she was also featured in exhibits at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, the Hawaii State Art Museum and a solo exhibit at the Honolulu Museum of Art. She also just completed a 40 piece glass panel commission at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. She has been featured in Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, Ocean Home...
Pastel, Board
Sold
H 20 in W 13 in
"Suspense Vertical (Paper)" mixed media painting of woman in red suit in 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...
Mixed Media, Archival Paper
Sold
H 10 in W 10 in
"Free Horizon" Oil painting of a woman in a white swimsuit in a blue pool
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
Oil painting of a woman in a white swimsuit in a blue pool. "I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The Swimmer series h...
Oil, Panel