Artist's Statement:

My works on paper are inspired by the natural landscape, the images are impressionistic representations of panoramic or more specific views, giving an intimate insight into depth, detail and textures in the landscape. I love water formed reflections, a living landscape, in particular the light forming shadows created as natural shapes block and break it, forming its own ever changing bright and dark patterning - the contrasts that natural light produces, allowing a dramatically created image, the vibrant and subtle shades of colour the landscape displays at different hours of the day and with the changes of season, inspiring my hand coloured etchings. The landscape offers endless numbers of images, multiple forms, shapes and spaces ready for the etching experience - creating its own energy and balance. In my etchings, I aim to draw the viewer more closely into the landscape, to appreciate its beauty and scale. Share with me my passion for its richness.

About the Artist:

Barbara Bennett is a well known printmaker producing fine quality etchings reflecting her love of the landscape, particularly the unique combination of rivers, forest and spectacular southern coastal scenery where she lives near Denmark, Western Australia. Her reputation is evident in her high quality works. With intricate detail that enhances the stark contrasts of light and darkness, the focus of her sepia and her black and white etchings, and with the additional use of multiple colour etching plates and subtle hand colouring techniques, vividly illuminating the print, her etchings are almost brought to life, creating moods, emotions and an almost tangible feeling of tranquillity and gentleness, indicative of an artist at one with the natural environment. Producing an etching is a long process involving many stages in the working of a plate from which each print in an edition is pulled, the resulting effect not being obtained by any other artisitc method. Barbara has translated numerous images into etchings that enable the viewer to appreciate more intensely the beauty of landscape.

1979-84

Diploma in Printmaking - Perth Technical College, W.A.

1966-68

Degree in Pharmacy - University of Sydney, N.S.W

1961-65

Leaving Certificate - A's in English, Art, Economics, Maths,

Physics & Chemistry, 1st Class Honours in Geography

2000

"Etchings the Landscape" Fine Woodcraft Gallery, Pemberton

"Language Of Landscape" Old Butter Factory, Denmark

"Visions and Moods" Lamont Winery & Gallery, Swan Valley

1999

"Essentially Etching" Mountford Winery, Pemberton WA

1998

"Etching Encounters" Burnie Regional Art Gallery, Tasmania

"Between Sea & Sky" Old Butter Factory, Denmark

1997

"Etchings From An Island" Stafford Studios, Cottesloe

"Etching Horizons" Old Butter Factory, Denmark

1996

"Afternoons Of Light" Lamont Winery & Gallery, Swan Valley

"Colours of the Landscape" Mountford Winery, Pemberton

"The Living Landscape" Old Butter Factory, Denmark

1995

"The Etching Edge" New Collectables Gallery, East Fremantle

1994

"An Etching Eye" St Catherine's College, UWA, Perth

1993

"The Etching Experience" Old Butter Factory, Denmark

1995

"Woman From The West", North Shore Fine Art Gallery, Sydney

1994

"Shades Forms Textures", Room With a View, Albany,WA

1990

"Southern Exposure", Albany, W.A. Town of Albany

1989

"6 x 6" Printmakers Exhibition, Bridge Gallery, Perth Shire of Denmark

2001

"ART 01" Western Australian Art Gallery Expo, Fremantle

1996-2000

Hale School Art Exhibition, Perth

1996

"The Ultimate Proof", Access Gallery, Art Gallery Of WA

1995 & 2000

Penrhos Artaffaire, Penrhos College, Perth

1993

Wesley College Anniversary Exhibition, South Perth

1992

"Urban Reality" NETS WA Regional Touring Exhibition

Princess Margaret Hospital For Children Art Exhibition, Perth

1990-2001

St Hildas Anglican Girls School Art Exhibition, Perth

1989

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Print Award, Perth

1998-2000

Guide Dogs For The Blind, Cottesloe, WA

1998

City of Joondalup, Shire of Wanneroo, WA

1996-2000

Artcenta, Newman College, Churchlands, WA

1992-2001

Albany Art Prize Exhibition, WA

1995

Images Of Western Australia, Katsui Studio, Perth, WA

1994

ArtCraft Expo, Printmakers Association of WA, Fremantle

1993

Exhibition for the Whitbread Yacht Race 93/94, Fremantle

1991

Printmakers Association Open Printmaking Award, Perth

1982-93

Fremantle Print Award Exhibition

1991-

California Society of Printmakers, USA

1980-

Print Council of Australia Inc. Melbourne

1980-

Printmakers Association of Western Australia

1987-

Denmark Printmakers Association,Denmark WA

2001

Albany Port Authority Prize - Albany Art Awards

1994

Tresillian Art Award - Highly Commended

1994

Northam Art Prize - Highly Commended

1991

Albany Printers Art Prize - Albany Art Awards

1990

Tresillian Art Award - Printmaking Prize

2000

Kings Park Calender Collection

West Cape Howe Wines, Denmark

1998

Merrebee Estate, Mt Barker

1996

Canning River Lagoon, Perth

1993

The Royal Automobile Club of W.A. (Inc)

1990

Brookland Valley Vineyard, Cowaramup, WA

Radisson Beach Resort, Dunsborough

Princess Margaret Hospital For Children

Perth Technical College

Willeton Senior High School

North Albany Senior High School

Western Mining Corporation

Australian & International Collections

Gavin Hegney & Associates, Perth WA

City Of Fremantle WA

"Art & Australia Journal", Vol 34 No 4, June '97

"Marketing Art Design & Craft", 220 page artist guide

"The Etching Edge", Exhibition Catalogue

"Who's Who Of Australian Visual Artists"

Reed Academic Publishing, Victoria

The "West Magazine" West Australian, 1992

Grant Awards

1995

Solo Etching Exhibition, Fremantle, Arts WA

1991

Printmaking Workshops, Kala Institute,USA, Arts WA

An ORIGINAL LIMITED EDITION ETCHING by BARBARA BENNETT involves the following techniques:

A. Line Etching:

1. Applying an acid resistant ground onto a polished zinc plate
2. Drawing the image lines in reverse with an etching tool to remove the ground and expose the plate.
3. Placing the plate into acid that etches the exposed drawn image lines.
4. Different lengths of time in the acid produce different depths of line.
5. The ground is removed leaving a clean plate with the image etched into it.

To enhance the image further, tones can be introduced to the drawn image by:

B. Aquatint Etching

1. To produce fine or coarse tonal areas, a fine or coarse spray of enamel paint is applied to the drawn image lines.
2. Placing the plate into acid etches the exposed areas of the plate.
3. Different lengths of time in the acid produce different depths of tone.
4. The paint is removed and the plate is now ready for printing.

Printing

1. Etching ink is pressed into the etched lines and tonal areas with a rubber squeegee.
2. A 100% acid free paper is placed over the inked plate and together run through the etching press under the pressure of two steel rollers.

The print produced will be the reverse of the drawn image with an embossed edge due to thickness of the plate and the pressure applied by the press.

This is an ORIGINAL LIMITED EDITION PRINT

1. Each consecutive etching printed from the plate is inked and printed separately on the etching press, making each etching an original.
2. A selection of the etching edition can be marked as Artists Proofs (A/P).
3. The total number of the etchings printed in an edition may vary. All etchings are consecutively numbered over the total. e.g.1/50, 2/50,3/50.up to 50/50.