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Take a Peak: Anna May Bennett

Landscape painter flourishes on coast
take a peak bennett
Take a Peak: Anna May Bennett (Robert Colasanto photo)

Landscape painter Anna May Bennett came to visit Powell River in 2006 with her husband when she was eight months pregnant with her first child. Three weeks later, she was a permanent resident. Since then, the Scotland-born artist and mother of two has found her place in the community and the time to pursue her art as a full-time career, working on commissioned projects for BC Children’s Hospital, among others. Represented by many galleries in BC, Bennett’s latest undertaking is a mural for Townsite Brewing’s main entrance.

How did coming to Powell River inspire you to make your artwork a career?
It was a family decision to come here, and it certainly wasn’t on the forefront of my mind to be working on an art career, but being here and experiencing the beauty of the place, and making friends and feeling comfortable, gave me the impetus and push to really take a chance. I set myself some goals and having the support of the arts community really helped direct me. Powell River is a huge part of why I’m doing this and how I’m doing this.

You’ve done some large commission projects. How do you feel when you are first presented with them?
Every project is a challenge because every project requires something new of you. It’s not me sitting and painting what I feel today; it’s what someone else wants, and each of these commissions has come with very tight deadlines, so that also makes it quite difficult. However, I do everything I can to get these projects done to a certain standard, because I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my artwork.

What is it like being a mom and balancing that responsibility with your artwork?
It has great things about it, because I can focus on being a mom and being there at the times when I am needed, but at the same time, it’s very difficult because creating a career as a full-time artist requires more than your average job. It takes a lot of research and proposals, and you are always planning a year in advance. So I definitely lead a busy life.

What inspires you?
As far as subject matter, it’s the beauty around me, and right now it’s on the West Coast. But beyond that is the sharing of what I do and offering my view on the world to others, and hearing their reactions and making connections, and that inspires me to do more.

If someone was to ask you what kind of artwork you do, what would you say in just a few words?
I definitely use the word “landscape,” and it’s usually larger-scale paintings. I heard someone local call my work “faux realism.” I don’t know if that’s actually a term, but I quite liked it, so I would probably go with that.

For more information, go to fb.com/annamaybennettartist.