Ben Congdon is an award-winning painter, illustrator, and author. From a young age he developed a skill for artistic creation as well as a love of narrative. He utilized his penchant for detailed, expressive design working in a wide variety of mediums and positions. In college he excelled in illustration taking home the university prize for illustrator of the year. After this he worked in graphic design for several years before entering the entirely new field of fine art oil painting. His vibrant, realistic scenes depicting wildlife and the American Southwest won him recognition in outdoor publications, gallery representation, and the honor of being the first artist ever chosen for residency in Big Bend National Park.
For the past six years Ben has used his talents to train others while working as a highschool art teacher. During this time he fulfilled a lifelong dream of combining art and design with his love of narrative. Ever since he was first introduced to The Great Detective as a young boy, Ben has been an avid fan of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The “unwritten cases” always fascinated him, so he set out to attempt his first ever pastiche story. While analyzing and studying Doyle to be as faithful as he could, Ben also took on the challenge of illustrating the new case utilizing the method and style of legendary Holmes artist Sidney Paget. Since that time Ben has published two books encompassing five new cases as well as producing nearly 40 original illustrations. He is diligently working on his third book coming out soon!
