Carol Benson-Cobb
Carol Benson-Cobb is an abstract artist known for her custom colorization. Her work reflects a feeling created within a color palette with an emphasis on the way colors layer and affect one another. Her vision is to create a mood within the art, adding a hint of a landscape or focal point usually evoking a feeling of fluidity and emotion. Her intentions are never to fully define a scene… but to lead viewers to the use of their own imagination and life experiences to fill in the gaps…” “I am fortunate in that my love is to paint for spaces, not just for what I was inspired to paint but how it needs to feel for a buyer to be able to live and fall in love with a piece.”
Carol Benson-Cobb’s art career started with an entrepreneurial spirit at the age of fifteen, painting rock star portraits for school mates. A self taught artist with very little exposure to the industry, Benson-Cobb quickly learned her niche and love was painting for spaces. Benson-Cobb’s gift of custom colorization evolved with each project and designer. As she evolved her business, she learned the art of printing and the value of scaling her original work. Her first collection of reproductions launched in early 2012 under an established wholesale furniture company as a side note product line.
The year proved to be a glimpse of what was to come. Simultaneously, a selection of her original works were placed within the Holly Hunt showrooms. Her first works were sold almost immediately, securing her original art value to collectors. A bit frustrated with the lack of control over distribution channels and recognizing her need to maintain her value, Benson-Cobb chose to launch her own brand, “Benson-Cobb Studios”. By January of 2013 Benson-Cobb’s creative formula and signature gallery quality gained exposure in the major home furnishings markets, catching the eye of luxury brands such as Neiman Marcus and Calvin Klein Home right out of the gate.
Her large, soothing abstract artwork and fresh approach to the industry grew her account list quickly. Benson-Cobb found herself working with the top echelon of designers literally overnight. The irony, Benson-Cobb did not know the industry well enough to know who was considered “the top echelon”… each new client and project, no matter how big or small, was treated with the same fresh approach and with no preconceived notions.
By 2014, Benson-Cobb Studios was nominated for the 25th annual Arts Award for the Wall Décor category. Up against large scale manufacturers with seasoned sales teams and world wide distribution, being nominated for the award was an honor and surprise. The bigger surprise came when Benson-Cobb Studios was announced the winner. The award was an incredible accomplishment, setting the tone for the following year. Benson-Cobb continued to evolved her creative methods at a fast pace. Her abstracts gave way to another collection she coined “Textiles”, a reflection of the creative process. The textiles emerged in 2013, launched as a canvas artwork intended to compliment the abstract paintings. The unusual technique is one of many creative processes Benson-Cobb has used to set her work apart. The textiles naturally progressed into fabric by the yard and wallcoverings.
By 2015 the first fabric collection was revealed, offering a custom line of digitally printed Belgian linen.
As the rapid demand for her work grew, her manufacturing expanded. Benson-Cobb found herself knee deep in all of the headaches of large scale manufacturing. The artist was pulled between the manufacturing needs and the creative demands. In 2016, a brand and manufacturing partnership emerged with John-Richard. 
The partnership lifted the heavy weight of the reproduction manufacturing and sales. The relief gave Benson-Cobb the ability to focus on her custom works and original paintings within her working studio team.
The relationship also enabled Benson-Cobb to expand the art to finished goods such as credenzas, lamps and upholstered pieces. Benson-Cobb continues to expanded her work into other categories by growing her strategic partnerships with trusted, industry leaders.
Maintaining her value to her buyers has always been Benson-Cobb’s highest priority. She protects the imagery by creating custom collections and limiting her distribution channels.
