Ernest 'Ernie' Benton

Earnest "Ernie" Benton, Jr. is a contemporary artist who loves listening to music. In particular, he loves listening to jazz as he paints.

A native of Chicago, Ernie feels he has been blessed in many ways: by his early and continuing interest in art, by a wonderful mother who supported and encouraged him in whatever he did, and today, by a wife who works in the background to help his art. Besides living in Chicago, Ernie also lived in the East near the Washington, DC area. He was quite active in the arts there, but fortune had him relocate to Texas in early 2002. He and his wife now live in north Fort Worth.

Ernie is self-taught, having started drawing when very young. He has created numerous acrylic paintings and also enjoys working in pastels. His strong, colorful work is sometimes realistic and sometimes abstracted. He has competed in and won many art competitions, awards, prizes, and has been juried into many shows and festivals. He says of his creative process, "I am inspired by passion, beauty, and the abstracts and intangibles of music, thought, form and figure. I love to create paintings to share my visions with the world so that just for a moment the viewer becomes a part of my story. My hope is that all who view my work will have a mood-changing experience that takes them on a short journey to peace, beauty, well-being, and serenity."

Ernie believes that art is essential to the human experience. "A basic understanding and appreciation of the arts serves to broaden character and deepen the connections with those in our social circles" (A Passion for Jazz! ^TM 2007). He likes to use art as an opportunity to inform, educate, and ignite the interest of art lovers and students alike. His paintings are created to depict the sounds, flavor, and vibrations of life and I hope that in some small way larger opportunities are generated for communication and understanding.