Mike Bennett’s Artistic Adventure: Brushing with Destiny
In our new Medium blog, we are talking about a remarkable journey, one filled with childhood dreams, artistic passion, and life-changing encounters. Mike Bennett, a talented artist who has been a cherished member of our creative community for a long time now, is eager to open up and share the captivating story of his artistic beginnings and evolution. When we inquired about his artistic journey, Mike Bennett, proudly shared these insightful words:
‘’Growing up in the 1960’s was an exciting time for me. As a child, I always had an inclination toward art. I remember diligently copying coloring book characters of the 1960’s television cartoon shows such as Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound Dog, and Mighty Mouse. After assembling a small group of sketches, my mom showed them to a priest who was visiting us, and he remarked how well done they were, and asked if I had traced them? My mom immediately said, “No”. He drew them free hand”.During the early 1960’s, reruns of a popular television program hosted by the first ever television artist, named, Jon Gnagy were being broadcast on a local station. His program was being televised long before future television artists, Bill Alexander and Bob Ross. There weren’t many channels on TV then. The reception was poor considering the strength of our antenna. Jon Gnagy’s first television art show was telecast from the top of the Empire State Building in 1946 and is credited with being the first ever American television show! I remember watching a half-hour Gnagy program on Saturday mornings when he demonstrated two “ten-minute” landscapes within that half hour. He used light, medium gray, and black chalk to work wonders on the paper attached to the easel.
Later that decade I had the supreme privilege of personally watching him work his magic twice while only being a few feet away from him as he sketched a color moonlit tree in 1966 and later a cabin in the snow in 1971. When I watched his shows, I only had a pencil and paper and could not possibly keep up with him. There were accusations that he used trick photography, but he didn’t! He was just that fast! In those days before videocassettes and DVDs, there was no way to pause the programs. Sometimes, Gnagy would demonstrate one of his television lessons from one of his books. When I was given a brand-new Jon Gnagy art set, for Christmas, I was in Heaven. Once I got hold of the pastel chalks, I could not put them down. They were messy yet so much fun to work with and they blended nicely!
During my last year as a 5th grader at Our Lady of the Assumption School in 1965, my talent was starting to be recognized by the nuns and I was asked by at least three of them, including my own teacher, to sketch an elaborate scene of Bethlehem on the chalkboards using different colored chalk. The scene would be the backdrop for the Christmas play as each class would travel to another classroom (just before Christmas break) to see the same reenactment of the Christmas story by different grade levels. One year, I portrayed St. Joseph and another year, one of the three kings. I could feel all the eyes of the 6th through 8th grade students as well as the nuns looking at me as I was sketching out palm trees all over the chalkboard. I was wondering why these other students couldn’t do the same thing.
In 1966, one of my fondest memories came true. The local newspaper, the San Bernardino Sun-Telegram announced that Jon Gnagy was coming to San Bernardino, California to the new May Company Art Department at the Inland Center to launch a new art department which would be stocking Gnagy’s many “Learn to Draw” kits. Gnagy chose 6 children to follow along with him as he taught the lesson on a moonlit tree from one of his instructional books. I could hardly wait as the day approached for the happy arrival of this Master Artist. I managed to work my way to the front of the crowd and as he started asking for volunteers, I was jumping up and down and waving my arms, hoping he would see me. He finally chose me, and we all began to start our sketches. The other children and I worked with Gnagy’s own chalk collection. I really felt that I had made it!
After everyone was finished and the crowd started to disburse, I asked Mr. Gnagy if he would autograph my sketch, and he said, “I can’t do that since I didn’t make it. First, I want you to sign it.” After I attached my name to my first “professional” looking color sketch, Mr. Gnagy grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote on my sketch, “Instructed by Jon Gnagy.” My sketch of the tree was immediately framed behind glass by my mother, and it stayed in my family home until I moved out. I still have it in my studio and if you look at the bottom of the sketch you will see his autograph. That picture is featured on my website with the notation: “This pastel scene was done under the instruction of TV art instructor Jon Gnagy.”
Then, five years later, during Christmas Break in December 1971, I met Jon Gnagy again in Idyllwild, California. It would be my final meeting with him. I was in high school at the time. He had a studio gallery at the Welch’s Carriage Inn where he gave demonstrations at the Inn in the evenings. When my family asked the manager of the Inn where Gnagy was, he immediately called Gnagy who generously left his warm, cozy home, trudged through all the snow, and showed up at the Inn less than a half-hour later to demonstrate his talents to strangers. He began by asking us what we wanted him to draw. I loudly exclaimed, “A cabin in the snow”. After he was done making a sketch of a log cabin, we thanked him. My mom reminded him that I was one of the youngsters at May Company back in 1966 and that he had demonstrated the tree lesson.
Gnagy said he remembered me, and he asked if I would like to be on a new color television show that he was developing. Of course, I jumped at the offer! Unfortunately, the show never materialized but a year later, I was able to acquire an original Jon Gnagy pastel sketch. On the back of the painting, he wrote that it was developed for a new color television program. Gnagy was definitely planning a comeback, but the dream of being on a television show with the Master Artist was shattered.
As the years passed, I kept waiting for a phone call or a letter in the mail from him, inviting me to Hollywood to work with him for that color television show. I didn’t know where he lived and was unable to contact him. Sadly, the Welch’s Carriage Inn was demolished by Glenn Bell, founder of the Taco Bell Restaurant chain. In 1981, the same year that I was married, Jon Gnagy died. It was the end of an era for me in one sense but also the beginning of another more exciting one, also. More of my art experiences can be found in a book in which I completed a section on how to complete a pastel sketch and also two portraits of Gnagy which one appears on the cover and the other on the inside. It was written by the famous General Patton book author, Charles Mike Province. The book is entitled “Jon Gnagy America’s Art Teacher”.
As my artistic talent continued to improve over the decades, I’ve been able to sell and license my art to many types of companies. My art has been published as international postage stamps, wood and cardboard jigsaw puzzles, book and magazine covers, cross-stitch designs, paint-by-number sets, pixel hobby crafts, wall murals, tin signs, prints, and greeting cards. I even taught art to 6th-8th graders for the California Public School system for nearly 26 years. I sold my art in galleries throughout the 1980’s to the 2000’s and on the Art & Coin TV program between 2011 and 2012. In 2016, I had a major scare when I lost eyesight in my right eye due to a spontaneous detached retina. The eye surgeon was able to freeze the retina and push it back to its proper place in my socket. He said I was a lucky one as most people lose permanent eyesight if they don’t get to the surgeon quickly enough. I also ascribed a successful procedure to God with the help of a few favorite saints such as Padre Pio. That eye is far from perfect, and I have to wear prism glasses, otherwise I am seeing double. I would never have experienced my success, nor would I be sketching or painting today, if it weren’t for Jon Gnagy’s TV show and his “Learn to Draw” art sets. God gave me the talent, but Jon Gnagy ignited it! My life is complete with a wonderful wife, Rene, three beautiful daughters, Nicoe, Victoria, and Kathleen and their husbands, and all my grandchildren.’’
His story is a fantastic source of inspiration for everyone, and we are happy to have Mike as a valued member of our creative Jigsaw Puzzle Universe community. You can experience Mike’s captivating artwork on our Jigsaw Puzzle Universe app, where his illustrations and creations breathe life into our puzzles, inviting you to play and explore his artistic world.
