Cirencester lives Mark Bennett
THE LOCAL ARTIST ON SHOPPING LOCAL, FLAMENCO, AND PARLEYING FRANCAIS
Q. Where is home? A. I moved to Cirencester four years ago after having grown up in Cheltenham. Coming from a much bigger town I was, and still am, amazed by the community feel of Cirencester. People say hello to you in the street and it’s just such a nice place to be a part of. Q. When and why did you get interested in art? A. I started painting from a young age. My mum and grandmother are both artists so I guess it’s in my blood! I started exhibiting shortly after leaving university and it’s gone from strength to strength since then. It’s just something that is a part of me really. I’m at my happiest when I have a paintbrush in my hand. Q. Who or what inspires you? A. I get inspired by all the other artists out there. I often spend hours looking at the works of Fabian Perez, Jack Vettriano and Monet, looking at their techniques and seeing why
their paintings are just so amazing. Other art forms really inspire me too like dance of course, music and photography. Q. Where can we see your work in Cirencester? A. I’m currently the resident artist in Waterstones and rotate paintings there on a regular basis. The Cirencester branch is such a great place and is much more of a local bookshop than you’d think. They run so many different events in there from book signing to poetry readings. Q. How do you relax?
A. Walking in the surrounding countryside with my wife Emily and chocolate lab Alfie. You can walk for miles and miles in Cirencester. Q. Where do you like to eat and drink in Cirencester? A. You can’t beat a coffee and a cake at Keith’s on a Saturday morning. If you’re up for a trek you can walk from Cirencester to The Bathurst Arms via the countryside for one of the best
50 Cirencester Life
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meals you’ll ever have! They do some amazing local ales in there too. Q. What is the one shop in Ciren that you couldn’t live without? A. The Coln Gallery art shop! I think it’s so important to support local businesses so I buy all my materials there. Q. What are your favourite galleries to visit locally? A. Brewery Arts, the Coln Gallery, and the Wonderwall gallery all have some great work by local artists but it’s the new Frame Makers gallery that I’m really excited about. Q. What is your favourite view in Cirencester? A. I guess it’s not just one view but I love how you can see the Parish Church from so many places in Cirencester! Q. If you could get up on a soap box in the Market Place, what would you shout about? A. I’d really encourage people to support all the local businesses in the town. I think it’s so sad to see towns where the local community is just ruined because the local trade is replaced by the big businesses. Thankfully Cirencester seems to be going the other way and has great little shops popping up all over the place. Q. Do you like to paint to music? A. I do! I listen to all kinds of music in my studio from jazz to classical. I’m currently doing a flamenco series so am listening to Rodrigo y Gabriella quite a lot as it fits so perfectly with what I’m trying to capture. Q. Surprise us. A. Je parle Français couramment et je suis complètement dingue de toutes les choses Françaises! CL
www.markbennettart.com
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