African Reef Geraldton Western Australia

30"x 36" mixed media on canvas

Location History

The African Reef is a popular diving and snorkeling spot located off the shore of Geraldton, a coastal town in Western Australia. This unique location gets its name from the variety of tropical marine life that resembles the colorful underwater reefs found in Africa. The reef is part of a larger system known as the Abrolhos Islands, which is made up of over 120 islands and is home to an abundance of marine species.

What it means to me

When I was growing up my family and I lived in Geraldton for most of my teenage years. During my High school years a friend of mine lived further north of here in a place called Mahomet's beach and we lived further south in Tarcoola Beach. Some of those years I feel were better spent in the sun than going to school and we would meet up here straight from home first thing in the morning and spend the day at the beach. We would also meet up with our girlfriends a lot who went to another school.

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Hi, I'm Benn.

I’m a West Australian artist who grew up in Geraldton. Although I live in Perth now, I have a deep connection the Australian Land and the spirit and energy that reside there. I’m a great believer in tuning in to that energy which brings great revelation, healing and connectedness to the human soul.

I became a soldier in the army at the age of seventeen, I now feel it was more about being with the land than anything else, however it taught me one thing, attention to detail which I hope comes through in my work. My last career as an electronic Engineer is reflected in the technical aspects of my work, it has also created a sense of discovery into how different techniques and products can work together.

My journey to mixed-media.

I always knew deep down that being creative was in my blood in essence it is part of who I am. I was creating model scenery for my son, making trees and buildings. That led to a period of using wire as a medium experimenting with flattening it out into two dimensions. Using paper and other materials happened accidentally. My partner had a lot of unused scrapbook paper in the spare room, and I saw this as an opportunity for exploration. I started using these materials in unconventional ways. Through months of trial and error, I uncovered new ways to create beautiful pieces that I felt captured  and conveyed energy, emotion, and love. Although there were times I felt frustrated, or felt like giving up, the energy always drew me back in. So, I pursued it, and here we are.