ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Thirty years into his professional practice, Ben simply identifies as a Visual Artist, allowing for the widest spectrum of creativity and employability. Hire him for a paint tutorial , and you may not be aware of his whimsical dog portraits. See his logo on a local cafe, and you may not know of his travel renderings in pen and ink. Take in a studio visit, and it may not register that he has impacted education majors at the university level. As diverse as these pursuits are, he insists they feed one another. "A contract for whimsical banners in a business district may in fact see influence from my morning teaching kindergarteners the joy of color," he smiles.
The 55-year old Bellingham native has lived and traveled in places as diverse as San Francisco, Antarctica , Bali and beyond, but has happily called the PNW home since 2000.
Like many an artist, he soaks up the greens of the forest, the blues of the bay, the reds of a sunset. Oddly enough, it's the gray days that fortify him most. "Longing for sunshine is actually a great catalyst for me to dig deeper, to make paintings that sing with enthusiasm, that still manage to thrill me in the process, and that seem to hit a visceral nerve with those who enjoy my art." Located in Historic Fairhaven, he welcomes studio/gallery visitors to meet him by appointment, or during his seasonal events of "Hot Cider and Cool Art" between October and Christmas. Such events are listed on his website, as well as his Resume spotlighting his achievements in commercial art, awards and accolades, as well as publications that have sought him out for editorial art. He also enjoys making his designs available for wider distribution through the licensing industry, and welcomes such inquiries. When called upon, he readily makes his paintings available for annual nonprofit auctions that strive to better our community in unique ways.
"It's quite a feeling, getting to good as I do well."