Martin J Benoit, WFA * LOUISIANA INK ART
- About the Artist -

Martin J Benoit (his last name rhymes with "Renoir") has been capturing the images of his world in pen-and-ink since the early 1980's and his collection of works has something for everyone.

He first became interested in art at the impressionable age of eight while watching an artist work at a theme park. That memory stuck with him through the years. His first pen-and-ink work was for his own home in 1983. Over the years since, he has fine-tuned his highly-detailed ink works to produce drawings of intense detail. Viewed from a few feet or across the room, the incredible detail of Martin's work gives life and depth to the drawings.

Martin works with a very fine-tipped technical pen. After composing a scene from his vast collection of photos and clippings, he spends hours in preliminary pencil sketching. Every line is measured and calculated to produce a drawing of exact proportions.

During the inking process, Martin will work inches from the drawing surface. His vision is very acute for the close, detailed work that he does. The drawing develops, and main structure lines are recalculated and continually updated. Martin enjoys the precision of this work. The "framework" of a drawing, which is the basic outline of the subjects, may require many days to do while the "filling" of dots and lines to give the drawing life will take weeks and, on occasion, months to complete. It is this attention to care and detail that is very evident in his work.

Martin's subjects are as varied as his interests. Flowers in bloom, machinery at work, people on the move and at rest, structures of historic interest, scenes of breathtaking beauty - all and more are represented in the works of Martin J Benoit, WFA.

Living all of his life in South Louisiana, Martin comes from a large family and worked for a number of years on his father's sugar cane farm. His background has rooted the old-fashioned values he holds dear. Stories told to him by friends and relatives have been the basis for many of his works.

In exhibiting his works throughout parts of the country, Martin has added the views of these locales to those of his own. Works showing the uniqueness of South Louisiana have been joined by those of the midwest, the eastern seaboard, and the Sierra Nevadas.

Through the years, Martin has honed his craft, driving himself to produce the beautifully-detailed works for which he is known. The challenge he has set for himself is to constantly move forward, take the necessary risks, and experiment with new techniques all in the realm of pen-and-ink.