We were lucky to catch up with Ben Cantwell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ben thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I started drawing tattoos for friends when I was enlisted in the Marine Corps. Eventually, I went from charging nothing to charging a six pack, a six pack turned into a bottle of Jamison and before I knew it, people are interested in purchasing copies of my artwork for cash. fast forward to present day I’ve been able to create thousands of pieces of art including logos, tattoo designs, portraits and unit emblems for the people I love. Now I am able to continue creating art for other veterans, firefighters, and the community that supports us.
Ben, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a visual artist who creates work for the veteran, and first responder communities. A lot of my current work is reminiscent of American traditional tattooing. In the past, I have worked with watercolor, black and white ink, pencil, charcoal, and traditional painting. Like many of us, I was a big fan of finger paints and crayons. I was encouraged to continue practicing art and somehow became an artist through that support and encouragement. Right now I sell prints of my existing work as well as continue to offer my services as an artist for those seeking a custom piece. Additionally, I have stickers, shirts and playing cards available and much of my work can be found on the shirts of other companies though licensing agreements.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to help veterans and first responders connect through art. We all have difficult things in our past, and I have been able to use art as a method to explore and deal with that. My hope is that others can do the exact same thing through my work.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My social media presence was built slowly through posting quality work and engaging with people in a genuine level. A few times, I was able to reach out to large pages that I thought might appreciate my work. Their support and sharing helped push my brand forward, for sure. The biggest piece of advice I can give to young artists on social media is to just continue to perfect your craft, create quality artwork, and engage with people.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bencantwellart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bencantwell_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bencantwellart/
Image Credits
All this art is owned by Ben Cantwell. These pieces (and hundreds more like them) are available on his website.