BRIDGET BENTON is an Asheville, NC based collage artist layering nature print, photography, found materials, and expressive mark-making with a mixture of filtered beeswax, tree resin, and pigments (encaustic paint). Benton describes her work as “an attempt to capture not a moment in time, but the impact of that moment. I am mapping an internal landscape.”

During her 20+ years as a working and teaching artist, Benton has established herself as a passionate educator and lifelong learner, guided by curiosity. Her master’s degree focused on the study of the creative process, which informs not only her own work but also her teaching. She is the author of the award-winning workshop in a book, The Creative Conversation: ArtMaking as Playful Prayer, and works with adults to help them find their own unique creative voice. As part of supporting creative community and education, Benton has been involved in leadership positions in several non-profit arts organizations, including the Nature Printing Society and the International Encaustic Artists.

Benton's love of travel has inspired her to make her creative journey a global one. She has shown work in galleries from Portland, Oregon, USA to Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland and taken photos for her work in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal and the jungles of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Benton has led over 100 workshops and classes on artmaking and creativity including sessions for the Creative Problem Solving Institute in Buffalo, NY; Art Unraveled in Phoenix, AZ; International Encaustic Artists' EncaustiCon in Santa Fe, NM; The Nature Printing Society in Oregon, Colorado, and North Carolina; and the Painting With Fire online Encaustic Masterclass based in Mulranny, Ireland. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming workshops in Montelparo, Italy; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; and Melbourne, Australia!