Benjamin Ragland

Benjamin Ragland — Benny to most people who know him — has been making art since he was a kid. At 8 years old he took first place in both his county and state art competitions in Virginia, which probably told him everything he needed to know about where his life was headed.He went on to study at the Holden School of Art and Design, finishing a three-year program in Graphic Arts Management in 1973, and went straight into a job at an advertising agency. That got interrupted when the Navy drafted him, and he spent three years working as an Illustrator and Draftsman before getting an honorable discharge. After that he went back to school at Virginia Commonwealth University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts and Design in 1981.His career has covered a lot of ground — illustrating a nationally syndicated newspaper feature, working in typesetting companies and art shops, and taking on a steady stream of freelance work. He has done over a thousand portraits in everything from pen and ink stipple to oils and pastels. He has also painted murals on ceilings, walls, and floors in businesses, private homes, and churches.Teaching has been a consistent part of his life too. He has taught at community colleges, run children's classes and adult art lessons, and taken on private students.These days Benny is retired and spending most of his time on a series of pen and ink stipple drawings. You can see his work at the Gateway Art Gallery in Lake City. He also teaches classes there each month, including portrait drawing and calligraphy.