THE INTERVIEW Lincolnshire artist Ellie Benton tells us how bright colours and wildlife provide rich inspiration for her large, bold canvases.

THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO DENYING that Lincolnshire-based Ellie Benton’s artwork leaves a lasting impression... and it’s supposed to. A love of animals and the natural world inspires a sense that conservation is more important than ever.

But beyond the precious subject matter, there’s also the fact the Ellie’s canvases are a colourful, bold joy. You can’t help but take a closer look at the bold strokes and striking colours that are jumping off the canvas.

When we were first introduced to Ellie’s work, back in 2016, the artist was just completing her schooling and was beginning her career. Early on, though, she was voted the winner of Sleaford based Carre Gallery’s Summer Exhibition award, building up support and an enviable reputation within her local community of artists. With early praise and recognition proving a great source of encouragement, from that moment on Ellie’s enthusiasm to travel and to paint exploded almost as colourfully as her art itself.

“I was delighted to know I’d won!” says Ellie. “I was travelling in Australia at the time, so I couldn’t be there to accept my very first award, but it was great news to know I’d won and that all three paintings had sold at the gallery’s exhibition!”

Ellie has always had a keen interest in art from a young age. Growing up in Sleaford, Ellie studied graphic design at university level in Nottingham after going to art college in Lincoln.

“All of my teachers were really supportive and introduced me to materials or styles of painting I would never have dreamed of using. Lincoln opened my eyes up to colour, so I started to use bold colours in most of my work.” >>

Top Row: Orangutan, Jungle Fever. Centre Row: Chimp; Red & Rave. Bottom Row: Mulberry Cows; Goodbye.

>> After her studies, Ellie decided to travel the world, and she did so for 14 months. From New York to Vancouver to LA, and to the other side of the world visiting places like Fiji, Thailand and New Zealand, she spent most of her time, though, in Australia.

“Painting has always been a way for me to carve out space and process experiences in my life. I really like fact that you produce something tangible when making art. I feel like that can sometimes give a huge sense of accomplishment, regardless of the commercial success which can result. It provides space for me to process what’s going on inside my mind. I often get caught up in the judgement of how well a piece turns out, it’s easy to forget that it’s the process itself that is so therapeutic.”

“I mostly work in acrylic paint, but also gravitate towards pencil crayons, inks and oils. I love the versatility that acrylics provide, being a quick-drying medium, it allows for layering and building up of various spontaneous marks. I like to use a mixture of large, thick sweeping brushstrokes, with more blended, flowing tones.”

“I like to use the subject matter as a vehicle to experiment with colours and mark-making. My method of painting is a way of conveying ideas and feelings through a composition, distorting portraiture with a sense of fanaticism. I love the challenge of taking a monochromatic image and injecting it with explosions of colour. It’s the excitement of the unknown and how the outcome alters with every brushstroke that makes the process enjoyable to me. There is something very primal about my process of painting, which constantly challenges me to trust my instincts. Throughout the whole process of creating, I balance spontaneity with stepping back and trying to make calculated decisions.”

“Travelling the world also opened my eyes up to different lifestyles,” says Ellie. “It inspired a lot of my artwork, but it also gave me a feeling of purpose. A trip to Cambodia in Asia, seeing children who were poverty-stricken, but really happy nonetheless, made me so grateful for what I have.”

“After seeing poverty, I wanted to help people with my work,” says Ellie. “I want to get their stories out there, raise awareness of their situations, instead of judging a book by its cover when glancing at them on the streets.”

Among Ellie’s favourite subject are endangered animals. Her first few paintings were of animals, and she wants to make more people aware of the species at risk from extinction.

“After reading David Attenborough’s book highlighting the drastic decline of biodiversity, I felt inspired to paint images containing several animals coexisting and sharing a space of a painting.” >>

You Are Important.

>> I used animals that wouldn’t normally be seen in the same environment and attempted to convey a sense of complexity and exuberance. I found it challenging to find a balance between chaos and harmony and wanted to convey a strong sense of hope.” “One of the things I have been documenting for the last few years, is my own feelings and mental wellness. Each year for the past seven years I have made a self-portrait trying to encapsulate how I am feeling overall at the time of painting.” “However, instead of using my face, I paint images of chimps. This allows me the freedom to purely focus on conveying the feelings and emotions that I feel represent my inner outlook.” “I find chimps to be very expressive and I enjoy the challenge of trying to merge and project my own ideas with their faces. I find it very cathartic to reflect on my overall experiences and memories for that year.” “If the past couple of years have proven anything, it’s that we all have a need for emotional intimacy and connection, to keep in touch with the people in our lives. Just a hug or a simple touch can be important to release oxytocin in our brains. The word ‘loneliness’ doesn’t seem to exist in our language until around 1800, which suggests it is a relatively new concept.” “I’ve created a series of paintings of hands to reflect that. By choosing to paint a subject matter of touching hands, it has really brought me a lot of comfort and warmth by studying the skin and points of contact. I became fascinated with studying the impact of how such seemingly simple gestures or movements can be vital to how, as humans, we interact and connect with each other. I found that I wanted to celebrate the joy of holding hands or intertwining fingers and represent how it can make us feel.”

As 2022 begins, Ellie already has upcoming exhibitions planned in the Sam Scorer Gallery this summer (16th - 29th May), and in the Gallery at St Martins (26th Sep - 9th Oct), in addition to working on commissions for clients of animals and people.

Enduring a pandemic and with climate change focusing people’s minds on how the future will look, we’re reminded almost everywhere we go that live is precious and that the planet, its people and its biodiversity all need to be looked after. If there’s a more colourful or joyous representation of that necessity than Ellie’s work, we’ve yet to see it.

n For information on Ellie’s work or to commission your own work, please visit Ellie’s website www.elliebenton.com or call her on 07810 835147.