I am known to my friends as Leni, (Eleni NeoBenyon) a British Born Greek Cypriot Artist, currently based in Warrington, I completed a Degree with Honours, in Fine Art in 2009, at The University of Chester. I am currently studying an online Art Therapy course (CPD accredited and CMA registered).
My art career only began when I left catering in my early 30’s, stemming from a purely private therapy which helped me through difficult times due to long term health conditions Hemicrania Continua and Fibromyalgia.
After working in an SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities) School as Teaching Assistant, coupled with my own experiences, I hope to be able to introduce others to the idea of art as a form of therapeutic expression and escape, as I have found it invaluable during my darkest days. Particularly as a person who is not at all comfortable with expressing my feelings and emotions verbally, I plan to hold workshops with exhibitions of works at the end for children and young adults who attend youth clubs and holiday clubs, so that they have exposure to this form of therapeutic expression. If they resonate with it, they will have the knowledge to utilise this form of expression for the rest of their lives, hopefully helping them through their dark days too.
I’ve now sold work locally & around the country, then in March 2021 I had my first international sale with ‘The Disappearing Herd - 7 - with gold leaf’ going to its new home to L.A. in America! I have developed my own recognisable style: I love animals & nature, so they are predominately, but not solely, the subject my work. I adore intense, vibrant colours & love to create majestic, fantastical environments for the subjects of my pieces to morph/pop in/out/disappear into. I create oil paintings, watercolour paintings, and acrylic paintings, some photography, digital art, and mixed media pieces. I also create commissioned pieces, totalling 19 to date. I am designing a business logo for an independent food business. I have just completed one for another client, and have another to begin when I finish this one.
My next challenge is to develop my ‘Fantasy Land’ watercolour series onto large-scale canvases using alcohol inks. I endeavour to incorporate different sub-themes within the series including ‘Hummingbirds’, ‘Elephants’, ‘Giraffes’, ‘Floral’, ‘Underwater’ & potentially more as I explore the project.