Benjamin M. Johnson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was raised in southern New Jersey. Growing up between urban Philadelphia and the New Jersey Pine Barrens granted Ben an early appreciation for the interaction between wild places and the human element, which continues to inform his work.
Ben studied traditional painting techniques at The University of the Arts and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.  He was awarded a travel scholarship upon graduation from the Academy’s Certificate Program, which led to two European study trips that greatly influenced his work and life. Seeing the paintings of late 19th century French Impressionists and the Glasgow School in person fueled his painting direction from that point on. Initially looking to the landscape as his primary subject, birds became a realm of fascination, and increasingly a focus within his work. A Fellowship with The Center for Emerging Visual Artists in Philadelphia led to a grant funded project studying birds in southeastern Arizona and southern Florida. He was so enamored with the Sonoran Desert that the trip led to Ben to relocate to Tucson in 2009. Proud to now call the desert home, Ben lives and works in Tucson, creating works that are inspired by the natural world and our place in it.

Q and A with Benjamin M. Johnson