Hey, I’m Benzie — an artist based in Queensland, Australia, with dirt on my boots, ocean air in my lungs, and a sketchbook never too far away.

My artwork is rooted in storytelling and adventures. I paint the quiet strength of the everyday — the kind of moments that might get overlooked if you’re not paying attention. From the grit of the outback to the soft light on the coast, my pieces blend pencil, acrylics, and watercolour to bring those stories to life.

You’ll find me bouncing between themes, because I don’t believe in boxing creativity in. One week I’m lost in my Riviera Collection, painting sun-soaked European streets and salty summer stillness — and the next, I’m knee-deep in dust and leather, capturing the raw beauty of the West.

My portrait work is another extension of that storytelling thread — honouring real people and real emotion with honesty and care. Whether it's a commissioned piece or a moment captured in passing, I try to preserve a feeling you can come back to again and again.

I don’t stick to one subject or style, because life’s too layered for that. But whether I’m painting a windswept landscape, a weathered face, or a worn-in pair of cowboy boots, the goal is always the same: to create art that feels grounded, meaningful, and maybe even a little bit magic.

When I’m not covered in paint, I’m usually out with my animals or back in the studio — with my pet pig quietly supervising the creative chaos.

Every piece has a story — maybe one of them belongs to you.

Awards, Exhibitions & Career Highlights

Benzie is an Australian exhibiting artist known for her storytelling approach to drawing and painting, creating works inspired by real adventures, people, and landscapes. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally, featured in major publications, and collected in private collections across Australia and internationally.

Major Awards & Recognition

Benzie’s work has received multiple national art prize recognitions and exhibition awards including:

• 2019 Winner – Best Emerging Artist, Brisbane Rotary Art Spectacular

• 2019 Darcy Doyle Art Awards – Winner

• 2019 First Prize – Jimboomba Quota Art Show

• 2018 First Prize – Jimboomba Quota Art Show

• 2017 First Prize – Jimboomba Quota Jimboomba Art Show

• 2017 People’s Choice Award – Jimboomba Quota Art Show

• 2018 People’s Choice Award – Jimboomba Art Show

• 2019 People’s Choice Award – Jimboomba Quota Art Show

Finalist Recognitions

• 2020 Finalist – Muswellbrook Art Prize

• 2019 Finalist – Brisbane Portrait Prize

• 2019 Entry – Mabel Crosby into Archibald Prize

• 2017 Finalist – Lethbridge 10,000 Art Award

• 2016 Finalist – Lethbridge Gallery

• 2017 Finalist – Brisbane Rotary Art Spectacular

• 2017 Entry – Bessie and Dane Entry into Archibald Prize

• 2015 Finalist – Mission to Seafarers Art Prize

• 2015 Finalist – Lethbridge 10,000 Art Award

• 2012 Finalist – Gainsborough Greens Art Awards

• People’s Choice Award, Percivals Portrait Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville (2022)

• Meredith Foxton People’s Choice Award, Redland Art Awards, Redland Art Gallery, for Cold as Ice (2021)

• Best Emerging Artist, Brisbane Rotary Art Spectacular (2019)

• First Prize, Quota Jimboomba Art Show (2017, 2018, 2019)

• People’s Choice Award, Quota Jimboomba Art Show (2017, 2018, 2019)

Additional finalist selections include the Percivals Portrait Prize, Brisbane Portrait Prize, Salon des Refusés Art Prize, Muswellbrook Art Prize, Lethbridge 10,000 Art Award, Mission to Seafarers Art Prize, and Gainsborough Greens Art Awards.

Selected Exhibitions

Recent exhibitions include both solo and national group exhibitions:

• Group Exhibition, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Tamworth NSW (2026)

• Solo Exhibition, Tamborine Mountain QLD (2025)

• Veterans Art Show, Tank Ride, Brisbane (2018)

• Sea Shepherd Exhibition, Brisbane (2017)

• Farm Animal Rescue Exhibition, Brisbane (2017)

• The Front Gallery Exhibition, Canberra ACT (2016)

• Carla Benzie Gallery Exhibitions, Brisbane (2014–2016)

Public Art & Murals

Benzie has completed commissioned public artworks and murals including:

• Lifebridge Australia Mural Commission

• Logan City Council Skate Park Mural, Beenleigh QLD (2020)

• Yavanna Restaurant Bar Mural (2018)

• The Green Edge Mural (2018)

• Beyond Rest Coorparoo Mural (2017)

Media Features & Publications

Benzie’s work has been featured in national and regional media including:

• Featured Artist, Kicking Up Dust Magazine

• ABC News – Percivals Portrait Prize coverage

• InQueensland Arts Feature

• Courier Mail / Quest News Artist Features

• Jimboomba Times Artist Features

• Indulge Magazine

• Ink Magazine

Community & Charity Exhibitions

Benzie regularly contributes artwork to charity exhibitions and fundraising initiatives including:

• Water for Life Charity Exhibition

• Sea Shepherd Charity Exhibitions

• Farm Animal Rescue Exhibitions & Auctions

• Critter Creek Sanctuary Fundraisers

• Vietnam Veterans Charity Events

Benzie's work is held in private collections across Australia and internationally, with each piece created from lived experiences and real-world adventures that shape her storytelling approach to art.