JoAnne Benson is known as joBee in the art world. She's an avid oil painter, portraying the harmony between composition, light and color, with the impressionistic approach. Influenced by the Monet technique of "seeing color", Benson has studied with such renowned artists as Alan Crockett, Brian Blood, Charlotte Huntley and Susan Sarbach.

Use of strong vibrant color is the dominant element in her art. She enjoys working with various media, but says "I paint most often with palette knife in oil because the knife creates great texture and clean sharp colors that “pop” on the canvas. And since oil is unbeatable for its flexibility, depth, and durability, it is my favorite medium." Her current project however, an outdoor mural for the community of Klamath River, California; will be produced in acrylic.

JoAnne and her husband George raised two wonderful children, Jennie and Branch in San Jose, California. They are grown and remain in the Bay Area pursuing their business and music careers respectively. Benson recently fled corporate America to pursue her art. The Bensons currently live on the Klamath River in northern California and spend summers cruising their sailboat Teal along the northwest coast of North America and Canada. They sailed out the Golden Gate in 2002 and over the next 5 cruising seasons worked their way up to Ketchikan, Alaska arriving there this past summer (2007).

Influenced by the beautiful country-side and marine-scapes which surround her; joBee says, “Originally I took photos to use as reference material for painting, but with the time spent on the move from harbor to anchorage, fishing and exploring in such picturesque places, it has become impossible to bring every photo to life in paintings. Therefore I have chosen to make my photos a stand-alone art form in my portfolio.”

Benson has participated in San Jose’s Almaden Art & Wine Festival and Open Studios; exhibited at Santa Clara’s Triton Museum of Art and the Art Museum of Los Gatos; and has ardently contributed to the KTEH Art Auction in northern California’s Bay Area. joBee works hang in private collections across the United States, Canada, and to the far reaches of Norway. Her photos and paintings are available as prints and greeting cards; and she welcomes commissions.