Battle cry

“Warthog” drawn with colored pencil on paper by Sanford Ross Bender on January 23, 2026.
“Battle cry” composed and performed with guitar, concertina, and percussion on February 21, 2026.

The royal way

“Galleon replica of the Royal Galley” serviing in the 1571 Battle of Lepanto – Barcelona Maritime Museum” photographed by Sanford Ross Bender in November, 2024.
“The royal way” composed and performed with concertina, mandolin, and banjo by Sanford Ross Bender on July 11, 2025.

Don’t give up the fight, mates!

“Red goblin” painted and drawn with mixed media by Sanford Ross Bender some time ago.
“Don’t give up the fight, mates!” composed and performed with mandolin and guitar by Sanford Ross Bender on July 6, 2025.

Soldier’s remorse

Coastal view from the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, New Harbor, Maine photographed by Sanford Ross Bender in July 6, 2024.
“Soldier’s remorse” composed and performed with guitar, clarinet, and concertina by Sanford Ross Bender on August 10, 2024.

Spent knights

“Bay berries and flowers” photographed at Island Beach by Sanford Ross bender on October 22, 2022
“Spent knights” composed, performed, and recorded for banjo, concertina, dobro, and glockenspiel by Sanford Ross Bender on October 14, 2022

A lull in the battle

“Amiens Cathedral Interior Elevation” drawn with pencil by Sanford R. Bender in 1991
“Amiens Cathedral Exterior Elevation” drawn with pencil by Sanford R. Bender in 1991

My drawings of Cathedrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens from the thirteenth century were drawn while researching Gothic architecture, and how cathedrals in France were being constructed with arches, vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows. After drawing the horizontal and vertical lines of the structure with straight edge and triangle, I soon became entranced and astonished by how consecutive arcs drawn with a compass established a rhythm that appeared to dance gracefully across the page. The visual motion of the arcade struck me deeply as being musical, my other passion. The original guitar composition, “A lull in the battle”, inspired by medieval music, is what I imagined as being evocative of an exhausted knight pausing from battle, only to reflect and mourn a bygone romance.

“A lull in the battle” was composed and performed with guitar by Sanford R. Bender on July 17, 2016