Benjamin Budd began drawing at age 6 while waiting for his mother during her cello recitals. She, a painter and a pathologist, encouraged her youngest of four to pursue his ambitions in earnest. Ben was also encouraged by his father, a physiologist and potter, to expand his talents into other forms of art such as metalsmithing and painting.

He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1992 studying metalsmithing and drawing at the University of Toledo in Ohio, and continued as a metalsmithing instructor at the Toledo Museum of Art. After he began to practice watercolor, he decided to paint full time. Benjamin is returning to metalwork this year after spending the last few years in hiatus, painting full time. He has shown his work in many local art shows. Some of Benjamin’s artwork has been added to the permanent collection of the Toledo Museum of Art as well as many private collections in the United States and Europe.

Benjamin was inspired by the landscapes growing up in the Great Lakes region. He became a lover of nautical nature as well as an avid fly fisherman. His seasonal travels help him to create the images that capture the Southwest, the Outer Banks, the Great Lakes, as well as other regions. As a first generation American of a family who emigrated from Great Britain in the 60s, Ben’s interpretation of America’s landscapes is a fresh and unique approach in modern water media. In studying other artists, the Wyeths’ legacy has greatly inspired him, as well as Winslow Homer and John Singer Sergeant. With each of his pieces, Benjamin “hopes to freshly capture that memorable glance we all experience, thus sealing it in time.”

Benjamin’s metalwork reflects the influences of the Art Nouveau Period, Pre-Christian Barbarian World, the Celtic design of his ancestry, as well as subtle inspirations of Japanese design. His Archaic themes are realized with traditional techniques using ancient tools. Each piece is hand-made, fabricated and formed through forging, repousse, and piercing, as well as many other techniques. Benjamin focuses on the design element of the metals, rather than the common use of stones for value. His archaic themes uniquely join ancient metal techniques with his personal modern day design, while emphasizing the original purpose of metalwork: body adornment. Benjamin “hopes to bring back an appreciation of the ancient techniques of gold and silver work, many of which have been lost in the annuls of time as man grew hungry for convenience.”