Originally from Georgia, Ben was drawn to Montana at the age of 15 by Paradise Valley. Now, he calls Billings, Montana his home.
Ben’s inspiration comes from nature as he paints in the plein air style. Natural panoramas that are a tonic for the soul inspire Ben’s work. Such things as the aroma of spruce, pine and wild flowers that spice the evening air as well as the fresh smell of tilled earth and newly cut hay are what he enjoys most. Flowing water from a mountain creek to the lazy stretch of a river to the almost motionless pasture stream often are favorite motifs for Ben too. At heart, he is a realist and Ben stays true to the landscape form while leaving room for interpretation.
Some of Ben’s greatest influences in his art include Caspar Friedrich, Ernst Ochme, Andrew Wyeth, and George Inness. While he isn’t sketching, painting or etching, Ben is fly casting, hunting, or meandering the back roads of Montana with his wife, Helen.
