Christy Benton

As a multi-media artist, I love working in Oil Painting, Photography, and Sculpture. Lately my focus has been incorporating natural elements into lighting fixtures as “Illuminated Marine Art”. Our beautiful Coromandel is inspiration for my work, and as a marine biologist I love foraging on the beaches around Coro for the materials for making these illuminated sculptures, using driftwood and sea shells. Working with my husband in our LED lighting business has provided me with the skills, resources, and ideas for incorporating this into art, and have often found myself enthusiastically helping out fellow artists when they come into the shop looking for lighting to illuminate their own projects.

I have also been focused on my photography and building a portfolio of images. This combined with my illuminated sculptures has unfortunately meant I have not had much time for my first love of oil painting. In this my preferred subjects are usually marine focused as well – sea-scapes, birds & fish often feature. Although my creative time is limited between my work and my two wonderful (but trying and time-consuming) children, my passion still burns for all things art and I will give anything a go, especially if I can do it with them.