SPRINGFIELD – A Springfield artist debuted his bold work at the Second Friday Artwalk, showcasing a vibrant story of love, loss, and childhood told through multimedia and humor.
Keith Bennett has been a Springfield resident for 10 years; however, this series is inspired by his youth.
“When I was a kid in Arizona, it was too hot to go outside to play, so I was always like, ‘Can I draw on the board during recess?’ So that’s what launched this,” Bennett said.
The main subjects in his pieces are a variety of dogs and birds.
“I had two dogs. My last dog, Oliver, passed away in October, and I’ve been having a hard time getting over that still. And we had a dog that passed before him. Her name was Grace,” he said. “I’ve always had dogs. This is the first time I’ve not had a dog, and it’s really weird.”
The pieces highlight moments and memories of his pets, as well as those of his friends and neighbors’ furry companions.
“This is kind of like my final statement to both of my dogs, saying, ‘everything’s okay, they can go and play,’” he said.
Bennett attended Northern Arizona University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and illustration, and later pursued a career in advertising.
He describes his work as “gestural expressionism,” inspired by the expressionists in California, such as Fritz Scholder.
His work is rich in color and texture, creating a sense of movement with an emphasis on each featured animal.
Beside each piece, a small story is displayed, often reaching out of reality and into the fantastical.
“It’s the humor that goes with it. Because I figure, you know, we have enough stuff going on; we don’t need to hang that on our wall,” he said. “If you want to, that’s fine, but I prefer to have some humor.”
