About the Art

  • New: I’ve recently begun taking commissions. If you are a fan of my work but want to work with me to develop just the right piece for your home or office, please email me for more details.

I describe myself as a watercolor and mixed media artist. Watercolors are my first love, but painting, playing, and experimenting with a wide variety of art materials brings me great joy. My worktable is crowded with acrylic paint pens, metallic markers, water-soluble pencils & crayons, and collage papers. Discovering new and compelling ways to use these materials - and tapping into my creative impulses - keeps me very busy! Recently I’ve even begun adding embroidery to some of my pieces.

I use heavy-weight, 100% cotton paper in my work. I particularly love handmade paper with deckled (uneven) edges, although I often use more traditional paper with straight edges, as well. The descriptions of each piece will note which kind of edge it has. When framing my work, I recommend float-mounting the deckled-edged pieces so the edges are visible. I also resist the notion that all art on paper needs to be framed. Let me know if you’d like some suggestions for hanging unframed paintings.

This website highlights a small sampling of my work and will be updated regularly. Occasionally the pieces on this site will be identified as “On Hold,” which means either that the piece has been submitted for consideration at a gallery or exhibition, or that there is an interested buyer. If a piece becomes available again, I will update its status.

I invite you to follow me on Instagram, where you will be able to see my very latest work. Subscribers to my newsletter receive a discount on most of my work, and are offered subscriber-only flash sales several times per year. Find the sign-up link on my Contact page.

I paint on a daily basis, so I have an ongoing and robust archive of work. If you like my style but don’t see just what you’re looking for here, feel free to reach out to me and I can try to match you with something I have on file.

Take a Class With Me!

I have begun offering 4-day in-person Abstract Watercolor Painting Workshops in my studio. Designed as destination workshops for people who live outside NYC (but open to locals, as well), these workshops combine several hours each day of watercolor painting demonstrations, guidance, and practice, along with visits to cultural institutions, such as MoMA, the Whitney, and local galleries. My next scheduled workshop will be June 11-14, 2024. Click the link for more information or to register: https://bookwhen.com/jocelynbenfordart

Here’s what some of the students from my March workshop said:

  • "You are both a gifted artist, and a great teacher -- clear, organized, step-wise in your instruction, and encouraging to all. A perfect combination." - M.J.

  • "The workshop exceeded my expectations. I came home and was able to create pieces on my own after Jocelyn's generous and detailed teaching. The mix of painting time and all the extracurriculars made this workshop unique." - K.P.

  • "You listen so well and respond so positively to people. It makes the learning process very pleasurable." - H.C.

  • "Thank you so much for these 4 days! I'm so glad I gave myself this unforgettable gift!" - S.B.

I also have a 90 minute online class available through Etchr Studio. In this video class you can learn about some of my favorite art materials, practice some of my techniques, and follow along as I demonstrate two different projects. Etchr Studio is a subscription-based website that offers a wide variety of art courses for a yearly fee. However, they also have a 7-day free trial, which would enable you to view my class and decide whether the subscription is right for you. Here is the link for access to my class on the Etchr Studio website: Abstract Watercolour and Mixed Media Botanicals

Some favorite reviews from the Etchr class:

  • I so enjoyed your class yesterday and have the pieces I finished hanging on my studio wall for future inspiration! You are a wonderful teacher, and it was a very well paced class so that I was able to keep up. Sharing your techniques was so valuable, and I’ll enjoy using them - maybe I’ll even be able to come up with some of my own!!!! I’d love to see future classes with you. - A.K.

  • It was a fantastic class. I’d love you to do another one. I felt as though I learned so much and shared it to my grid where I have had some lovely feedback which is motivating me to do more. I…really enjoyed the process. Thank you for sharing your skills with us. - T.B.

  • Great job on the class, it was wonderful to be able to paint along with you, perfect pace! - K.M.

  • I really enjoyed the class. I learned lots of new techniques and it was very well done and paced. Thanks for sharing your time and talent. - J.B.