| how-it's-made |
All of our Benaya products are hand-crafted by specially trained artisans who form our Guilds. The images and designs themselves, however, are created by a team visual artists who make up our Design House. Here is a collection of their profiles.
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Alfred Ng |
Christl Vogl |
Marilynn Malo |
Alfred Ng is a Toronto based artist and designer. His passion for floral designs and nature is reflected in the wonderful detail and imagery of his floral creations.
Trained at the Ontario College of Art, Alfred has received numerous awards for both, his artistic work and design projects. His works are exhibited at a number of public and private galleries in Canada and the United States. |
Christl Vogl is the author and illustrator of many popular children’s storybooks. From her early childhood, Christl remembers creating both stories and drawings of the fantasy worlds she would imagine. Originally from Austria, Christl now lives in Sweden, surrounded by the very forests and lakes that inspire her. Christl’s art evokes a sense of wonder for the natural world. She captures the spirit of nature in its true and natural form. |
Marilynn Malo began painting in watercolour in the mid 1970s. Because there were few watercolour painters at that time, she taught herself with the help of a few good art books. She has now made painting her full-time profession.
Malo has a realistic style. She takes her inspiration from the Saskatchewan landscape she knows so well. Marilynn’s paintings express a sense of nostalgia for the heritage and culture that surrounds her. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Dylan Scott Pierce |
|
Gary Giese |
|
Hierum Weintrub |
As child prodigies often do, this young artist, born in 1986, began exhibiting his incredible artistic talents as a toddler. His mother Sandy Pierce remembers his concentration on simple circles and squares he had drawn: “He would look at these until he saw something in them, then he drew a bit more and transformed the circles and squares into sketches of his favorite animals.”
Little more than a decade later, Dylan’s gifted renderings have evolved into strikingly realistic painted depictions of the wild animals he loves. Dylan is well on his way to becoming a legend in the world of wildlife art. |
|
Gary Giese is a contemporary Michigan artist with thirty years of commercial and line art experience. He is a master at rendering and is well known for his dimensionally vibrant images. The realistic feeling of tone and depth created by Giese evokes atmosphere and mood. He has used seascapes, landscapes, still life and the human form to develop his distinctive and innovative style. |
|
Hieram Weintraub is a Toronto based artist involved in a number of creative projects. Music is often a root of inspiration for Hieram and this influence can be seen in the contrast of urban and natural imagery in his work. His recent projects include a series of acrylic paintings and a number of children’s books, both written and illustrated by Hieram. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| Jan Poynter |
|
Michael Menashy |
|
Patricia Bell |
Born 1957 in Victoria, B.C., Jan’s creative education began in junior art class at the age of 10. She majored in Painting and Printmaking at the Vancouver School of Art, and Art education at the University of British Columbia.
Jan’s illustration and rendering abilities have contributed to her fine art career with expertise in watercolor, pastel and oil painting. Showing in private galleries, solo and group exhibitions since the late 70’s, her work is based on realistic and colorful subjects including landscapes, interiors and floral studies. |
|
Michael works directly with the Benaya artisan guilds when creating the Benaya tiles. An artist with five years of training, Michael, along with father Allan, brought the Benaya collection to life, starting in the Canadian marketplace. Today, Michael’s primary responsibility is managing the Benaya Design House. Keeping the companies image fresh and current by creating his own original artwork and by searching for new talented artists to add to the Benaya Line. |
|
Born in 1933, Patricia has been greatly influenced by the landscapes of her childhood in picturesque Devon and Cornwall. Landscapes continue to be one of her primary subjects; she enjoys exploring the subtle distinctions and vivid contrasts of colour and light found in the outdoors. Patricia now lives in Warwickshire, England and continues to paint in both England and France. |