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
$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
$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
$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
$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
$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
$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
$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
$4,938
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
$3,724Sale Price|24% Off
H 23 in W 29 in D 1.7 in
Blue Sky in New York City Sun by British Contemporary Urban Landscape Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Blue Sky, Sunshine on Manhattan Street - Figurative New York City Painting by Leading British Urban Landscape Artist, Angela Wakefield, with dramatic light and colours. Art measures...
Paint, Acrylic, Board, Gesso, Acrylic Polymer, Varnish, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,189
H 9.53 in W 10.75 in
Plum Tree from Higashiyama I by Lumi Mizutani - Japanese style painting, red
By Lumi Mizutani
Located in Paris, FR
Plum Tree from Higashiyama I is a unique painting by Japanese contemporary artist Lumi Mizutani. This painting is made with India ink and Japanese pigments on cardboard, dimensions a...
India Ink, Cardboard, Pigment
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...
Pastel, Canvas
$36,081Sale Price|25% Off
H 29 in W 52 in D 2 in
Fifth Avenue Manhattan New York City Panoramic Painting by Contemporary Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Fifth Avenue Manhattan New York City Panoramic Painting by Contemporary Artist, Angela Wakefield. This is a major work from her New York Series. Art measures 48 x 24 inches Frame me...
Acrylic, Wood Panel, Panel, Varnish, Gesso, Board, Paint, Wood
$61,853Sale Price|30% Off
H 41 in W 32.5 in D 2 in
Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Art by Contemporary British Painter
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Dark & Atmospheric Abstract Expressionist Painting by Contemporary British Painter Angela Wakefield - a rare early work. Entitled 'Accrington ...
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...
$10,308Sale Price|70% Off
H 30 in W 40 in D 2 in
Orange & Red Abstract Sunset Sunrise Painting by Leading British Urban Artist
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Orange & Red Abstract Expressionist Painting - a rare early work from Leading British Urban Artist, Angela Wakefield. Entitled 'Sunset Sunrise #1', this bold, colourful artwork is fr...
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...
$9,965
H 29 in W 23 in D 2 in
Female Figure in New York City in Fall Sunshine on Sidewalk Street Corner
By Angela Wakefield
Located in Preston, GB
Female Figure in New York City in Fall Sunshine on Sidewalk Street Corner by British Contemporary Landscape Artist, Angela Wakefield Art measures 18 x 24 inches Frame measure 23 x 2...
Gesso, Paint, Acrylic Polymer, Varnish, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Board
$356
H 12.6 in W 10.24 in D 1.19 in
Sentier Peyriac 2: Contemporary Pastel Landscape on Paper, Framed
By Marion Puig
Located in BARCELONA, ES
This landscape is inspired by the saltwater lagoons around Peyriac-de-Mer in the south of France, where land and water interlace. She sought to convey this fragile harmony through th...
Paper, Pastel
$750
H 12 in W 16 in D 0.5 in
"Honfleur Street" (2024) By Christopher Clark, Cityscape, Oil & Acrylic
By Christopher Clark
Located in Denver, CO
Christopher Clark's "Honfleur Street" is an original, handmade oil & acrylic painting that depicts an abstracted cityscape bustling with people and the sun brightly reflecting off of...
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
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 32 in W 26 in D 1.5 in
Titanium Cruiser, Swimmer, Water, Work on Paper, White Swimsuit, Female Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Titanium Cruiser is a figurative artwork featuring a female swimmer in a white bathing suit moving through the water. It is a mixed media painting on painted wood grained paper. ...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Sold
H 17.5 in W 23 in D 1 in
Suspense Study, Swimmer, Water, Framed, Red Bathing Suit, Female, beach house
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Suspense Study is a figurative swimmer artwork with a red bathing suit by Hawaii Artist, Carol Bennett. It is a work on paper with hand painted wood ...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Sold
H 18 in W 18 in D 2 in
Effervescence, Swimmer, Water, Floating, Painting, Female, Figurative, Beach
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Effervescence is a figurative artwork featuring a female swimmer floating in the water. It is a mixed media painting. Artwork is 18 x 18. This is part of the latest series by Ha...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Sold
H 30 in W 11 in
"Epic White Falls (paper)" Acrylic painting of a black and white waterfall
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...
Paper, Acrylic
Sold
H 28 in W 28 in D 1.5 in
Titanium Reflect, Swimmer, Water, White Swimsuit, Work on Paper, Female Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Titanium Reflect is a figurative artwork featuring a female swimmer in a white swimsuit moving through the water. It is a mixed media painting on paint...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Sold
H 21 in W 27 in D 1.5 in
Waiohai, Surfboards, Surfing, Water, Work on Paper, Blue, Orange, Red, Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Waiohai is a series of four individual works on paper featuring surfboards and surfers. Each artwork is 15 x 5. It is a mixed media painting on paper. It is framed to 21x27 with a...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Sold
H 28 in W 28 in D 1.5 in
Portal, Swimmer, Water, Work on Paper, Blue, Red Swimsuit, Female Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Portal 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 2...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Sold
H 28 in W 35 in D 1.5 in
Current, Swimmer, Water, Work on Paper, Blue, Green, Female Figure
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Current is a figurative artwork featuring a female swimmer through the water. It is a mixed media painting on painted wood grained paper. Artwork is 22.5 x 30. It is framed to 2...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Sold
H 35.5 in W 35.5 in D 2 in
Dissolve, Swimmer, Water, Painting, White, Blue, Female Figure, Beach
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
Dissolve is a figurative swimmer artwork. It is acrylic, oil and varnish on wood panel. Artwork is 35.5 x 35.5. Carol Bennett spends all of her time surrounded by water, and a ...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Sold
H 32 in W 32 in D 2 in
See Water, Swimmer, Water, Painting, Red, Blue, Female Figure, Beach
By Carol Bennett
Located in Riverdale, NY
See Water is a figurative swimmer artwork. It is acrylic, oil and varnish on wood panel. Artwork is 32 x 32. Carol Bennett spends all of her time surrounded by water, and a gre...
Varnish, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel