About Gil Bennett
Gilbert Bennett has been painting professionally since 1984. An avid rail fan from the age of 2, Gil has a lifelong love for the subjects he paints—trains. Gil’s grandfather was a freight agent for the Chicago & North Western Railroad and traveled extensively by train, at times with Gil’s father in tow. Hearing about the rail travel their father took, a fascination for trains was kindled in Gil and his brother. At the age of 4, Gil was taking pencil to paper, drawing what he liked most. His talent for drawing grew over the years, but it was channeled more toward architecture, and his drawings of trains took a back seat to his studies. It was not until 1983 that, on a whim, Gil took an oil painting class at the University of Utah. Of course, the first thing he attempted to paint was a train. From that time, Gil started painting trains to pay for his college tuition. In 1987, Gil also picked up watercolors and has painted in both watercolors and oils ever since.
After graduating from the University of Utah with a bachelor of fine arts degree, Gil put school on hold before going back to get his master’s degree in architecture. It was during this time that he was commissioned to do 30 paintings for a company in Minneapolis, mostly of railroad subjects. Since then, Gil has been painting steadily and has developed a long list of clients. While at times Gil has painted wildlife, landscapes, Western art, and portraits, he prefers to paint trains. His paintings have graced book and magazine covers, articles, calendars, and Christmas cards. In 1999, Railway Reflections, a history of railroads in Utah illustrated by Gil’s paintings, was published. Currently, Gil lives with his wife and four sons in Saratoga Springs, Utah. He is the most prolific railroad artist working today, sought out by private collectors as well as national corporations.
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