Ben Kellar for The Queen

Artist Bio

Ben started painting at a very young age. As a child, he was often dragged to his painting lessons by his mom, but the initial resistance always gave way once he picked up a brush. Over the years, painting transformed into his lifeblood – what he wanted to do day in and day out. As a teenager, Ben became highly influenced by the infamous graffiti artist, Barry McGee and began experimenting with spray paint and larger surfaces. Eventually, after many jobs in every line of work, Ben knew art needed to his full time career. So he took the leap and began branching out and developing a name for himself. Now you are able to see many of his murals across the state of Connecticut and some surrounding areas. The impact of painting on such a large surface is undeniable – you cannot help but to stop and stare. Ben loves the challenge of working at such a large scale. He especially enjoys creating a mural that is bold, that takes a stand and cannot be ignored. His other passion lies in fine art, primarily on canvas and paper. He has always been deeply intrigued by human form and nature – So you will often notice many works of portraiture and flowers in his portfolio. Trains are another subject matter of great interest. If you are familiar with the culture of graffiti, then you know that trains are sought after over and over again. Transforming this subject to canvas causes beauty to collide with the industrial.