Karen Benton’s paintings are nuanced by abstract expressionism and infused with mood and milieu to denote energy, emotion and lyricism.

Her travels and experiences have left their imprint on her work. She combines influences as diverse as urban graffiti, landmarks and motifs.

Each painting is about the relationships that form its composition and the ongoing dialogue among the elements of colour, texture and shape.

My work is continually evolving. Spontaneous yet disciplined, I apply layers of paint, scraping back, scratching into and scarring the surface in order to challenge the existing state of the work. Layers are built up and then partially obscured, leaving evidence of what went before. Calligraphic lines merge with slashing brushstrokes.  I allow speculation, change and discovery to help me produce a range of exciting abstract compositions.

Influences are as diverse as urban scrawls, landscape markings and oriental motifs stemming from having lived, worked and travelled in European cities, the Australian outback, Egypt, Morocco and southern Africa.   Intuitive and improvisational markings are combined with order, balance and harmony.  Each painting is about the process of its creation, the relationships that form its composition and the ongoing dialogue among the elements of shape, colour and texture.

Having worked as Artistic Director for a magazine publisher since 1997, I have found a complimentary overlap between design principles and expressive creativity in my painting. My work impresses with its colour, balance and texture and has been described as “visually exciting” and “sophisticated and conceptually deep.”