'If you'd like to paint just do it, says Bradford artist

Combining his art with his full-time job as a gardener, he specialises in mixed media art - painting and sculpture

Ben works with spray paint, enamel paint and water on recycled materials such as paper, card, textiles, board and plastics as well as canvas. he exhibits widely across Britain and his work has also been on show in Europe.

Bradford artist Ben Snowden at his solo exhibition at Trapezium Art in Bradford (Image: submitted)

A mixed media on canvas work by Ben (Image: submitted)

Here, he answers questions on his life as an artist.

Q: How do you structure your working day?

A: My painting works round my full time job as a gardener, my family and playing in a band 'Foxes Faux'. When I’m working on a new series of paintings, I’m completely focused on creating the work for a few months. I do a lot of background work online, finding opportunities and events at which to exhibit my work, corresponding with galleries about upcoming exhibitions, getting my work framed and delivering my paintings far and wide to different galleries. It's all go being an artist - the way I work is like a full time job. I love it.

Q: How long does it take to paint a picture?

A: With my more recent work it takes a few weeks or at most a few months, but my earlier paintings used to take a good year or two to complete.

I work on numerous paintings at a time, so if one particular piece is taking awhile to finish, then I move onto another piece and so on. It can be like an art assembly line.

Q: What does it feel like to see your work in galleries, how do you get galleries interested?

A: I love to exhibit my work as much as I can, I've been very fortunate to be part of many wonderful contemporary exhibitions with so many amazing artists.

My work has been displayed in public art galleries, independent galleries and unconventional art spaces that have a brilliant DIY Punk aesthetic.

I feel immensely proud of my paintings when they’re hanging in a gallery space, it’s like bearing your soul to complete strangers and feeling completely free.

Q: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start painting?

A: Just paint - don’t think about it, just feel it. Create with anything you have to hand, be resourceful, you don’t need artist quality materials, think beyond surface value. Find your expression with whatever medium sparks your creative interest.

Q: What do you love to paint?

A: My work is a mixture of abstract and figurative elements. I paint how I feel not with a predetermined idea. Not knowing what I’m going to paint is exciting and pushes me as an artist to try and work in a different way every time.

Q: What inspires you?

A: To create from nothing is my main inspiration, art is about expressing yourself and communicating to the world how you feel. If you have something that you love and feel passionate about, it's your right as an individual to be the person you're meant to be and express that.

Painting is my main focus, I'm always trying to push my paintings and the materials I use to create something different and exciting, to disturb the viewer to feel something and not just think.

Q: What plans do you have for the future ?

A: I’m planning to have a retrospective exhibition of my paintings, drawings and sculptures that I’ve created over the last 18 years.I am currently trying to find a venue that will host my exhibition.

I want the show to reflect the roots of where I started as an artist, working away in my adopted basement studio at my dad's house in Keighley, to getting my first shot in the art world exhibiting my work in London, then developing my practice as an artist and getting further opportunities over the years. This includes exhibiting in public galleries and independent galleries around the UK, then exhibiting my paintings in Romania, Greece and Poland - at The National Gallery of Poland. That exhibition, in Gdansk , was entitled ‘Made In Britain - 82 Painters of the 21st Century’.

Work from Ben's exhibition at Trapezium Arts in Bradford (Image: submitted)

I’m unbelievably grateful to have my work in British art collections like ‘The Priseman and Seabrook Collection’ and the ‘New Light Art Collection’ for Northern Artists.

I have had the great honour of exhibiting alongside artists such as; David Hockney, Matthew Krishanu, Robert Priseman, Karl Bielik, Lisa Robinson, Narbi Price, Cathy Lomax, Frank Auerbach, Tracey Emin, Andrew ‘Mackie’ McIntosh, Alan Davie, Sir Terry Frost (RA), Zoran Music, Andrew Salgado, Enzo Marra, Joan Miro, Terry Greene, Carla Groppi, Sandra Blow (RA), Yuma Tomiyasu, Maurice Cockrill (RA), John Bratby (RA), Mandy Payne, Henry Inlander and William Gear (RA).

I moved to Bradford seven years ago, settling down and having a family. I love Bradford, it’s the wild west of Yorkshire, it’s an inspiring place. It has definitely influenced me as a person and as an artist and musician. From my dad's basement in Keighley to my basement studio in Bradford, working away totally free from any outside art influence, just painting what feels right to me.

Ben is taking part in a Secret Postcard Auction 2022 for the veterans' mental health charity Combat Stress. The preview and launch event are on Monday October 10, World Mental Health Day, at Bankside Gallery in London

Additional private view on October 19 at Glasgow Arts Club, Glasgow. Visit combatstress.org.uk/secret-postcard-auction.