The Musician
From the Alberta ranchlands just east of Rocky Mountain House, comes western country singer Ben Crane. His love for the west country and the outdoors comes through not only in his music, but in his artwork as well. The western cartoonist and Leanin' Tree artist says "What I do beats the hang out of a real job!"
Ben is a family man (wife Sharmon and 2 young daughters Stephanie, and Jessica), whose music stylings are definitely traditional country, with hints of bluegrass, jazz, blues and swing, and range from old cowboy ballads to recently written songs of the western lifestyle, to straight-ahead gospel songs that pack a punch; all delivered with warm personality and conviction.
Music has been keeping him busy for years. With four albums of his own, and countless others under his belt in various capacities - as a producer, session player or vocalist - Ben is making a significant mark in the western music field. Several of his projects have been nominated for awards in the US where western music's current resurgence is at an all-time high, and these same albums are receiving heavy airplay as far away as Europe & Japan.
Ben performs at a variety of functions, from gatherings and festivals to private and corporate functions, from county fairs to churches, and just about anything in between.
In his spare time Ben can be found visiting the west country, dayworking at the odd ranch or chasing kids.
The Artist
Raised on the flatlands of Alberta's Three Hills country, Ben's involvement in the western way of life runs deep. Work on local ranches and farms during his formative years, as well as a family that saw the benefits of humor, gave Ben a certain twist to his mental process; a twist that has become a permanent bent. His work is his view of life, and is inspired by events that have either happened to himself or friends, or simply a result of late nights and a strong cup of coffee.
Ben is an accomplished artist, recognized both sides of the border, and one of only a few Canadians drawing for the famous greeting card company Leanin' Tree. A founding member of the Cowboy Cartoonists Int'l, he has won many awards, and has been a standard at western festivals and art shows all across western North America, including Oklahoma City's National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Calgary Stampede, C. M. Russell Museum and annually in Las Vegas during the NFR. His art has also graced many books and magazines, as well as private collections in many parts of the continent.
With a wife and two young girls, he is a family man with family values; somewhat traditional, somewhat unpredictable. But with a goal of keeping his humor clean, he is to some extent a renegade, breaking new ground to prove you can laugh at everyday life and keep a clear conscience too.
His other interests are found in music, where he's as much at home on the stage or in the studio as he is in a living room or front porch somewhere far away from a radio. High on a ridge near Leslieville, overlooking the foothill country beneath the Alberta Rockies is where he calls home, a modest piece of land where, as his love for tradition would dictate, they are fourth generation· in a family that bought the land off the original homesteader. Ain't in-laws great!
"Coming from a long line of demented folks, humor comes real natural-like to me. For as long as I can remember, all my grandparents, aunts, uncles and the like, have laughed at hardship and other everyday occurrences. It's little wonder, then, that I see humor in the mundane. Raised on the flatlands at Three Hills, Alberta, gave me lots of space to roam and get involved in the western way of life. Although I ate and slept in town, going to most of my classes, I spent as much time as I could away from the bustle of small-town life, choosing instead to work and ride the family horse herd, rope with some buddies, or put time in working for local farmers and ranchers. These activities initiated my insatiable thirst for the rural life, and family camping and hunting trips to the foothill bushland only added fuel to the fire."
"Soon illustrations and experiences of this lifestyle were cropping up on any paper found lying around, and it wasn't until the ninth grade that I even thought about a career in art. I just did what come natural, not realizing that folks might pay to own these scribbles. In that grade 9 year, a local artist from a commercial studio asked Dad for permission to apprentice me, and things went on from there. Thankful for that boost, I rigorously applied myself to the art business all the way through high school and full-time following graduation. But after a 10 year stint as a commercial illustrator and graphic designer, and tired of deadlines and illustrations I had no heart for, I moved on, searching for my own sea legs."
"Moving out to the James River area near Sundre in 1988 gave me more fuel to the fire, and within the next few years events would take place that literally spun my cartooning career around and headed it towards goals I had dreamed about but never thought of reaching. I started showing at a few Cowboy Poetry Gatherings from BC to Saskatchewan, then got into a few bigger shows, all this time hoping to educate the general public that cartooning is a viable artform; not just a quick doodle sketch torn from a paper and stuck to your fridge. People had been investing in my work and buying my philosophy, but I needed more exposure somehow."
"In 1992, I entered a show with a group of like-minded cartoonists in Cody, Wyoming. We all shared the same philosophy about our style of art, and I soon realized I was in unbelievable company. With a host of other Leanin' Tree artists, some whose careers I had followed since a kid, we all formed a now notorious group of artists called the Cowboy Cartoonists International. That's where my career as a Leanin' Tree artist started, as well as launching a host of other ventures, allowing my work international exposure, and to span a broad price range, bringing it affordably to all walks of life."
"From there, my work has been shown at such places as the Calgary Stampede, National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the NFR and CFR at Las Vegas and Edmonton, 3-month exhibits at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls and the George Phippen Museum in Prescott. I have won numerous medals from these CCI shows, and have established my work and myself as contemporaries with such established artists as Boots Reynolds, and Leanin' Tree's top selling artist, Mike Scovel. The future is bright with potential."
"The main characteristic of my work is its family appeal. I have always aimed to stay clean in my humor; to prove that there are things in everyday life over which to have a good belly laugh, and to be able to feel clean about having it. The other characteristics are the mix of cartoon and realistic elements, and the personality given to animals that we all know is there."
"A recent move to the Leslieville area, buying our own place, has resulted in another creative streak. Having a hand in the cattle business continues to throw more situations my way that just beg to be put down on paper."
"Sculpting is starting to take some of my time, always searching for something new to try. I've taken advantage of many opportunities to speak, and teach seminars and classes for school kids interested in art, affording me the ability to finally pay back to the next generation what my mentors have passed on to me. In my opinion, that's the name of the game."
Western Artist
Affiliations
- Founding member of CCI (Cowboy Cartoonists International, Inc.) President (1996 -present )
- Leanin' Tree artist (one of only two Canadians painting for this western greeting card giant, competition to Hallmark and Carlton)
Major Exhibitions
- 3-Man Show with John R. Schnurrenberger and Linda Stewart, at Trails End Gallery, Calgary (1990), 3 month exhibition
- CM Russell Museum, Great Falls MT, with CCI (1996), 3 month exhibition
- Phippen Museum, Prescott, AZ, with CCI (1996), 3 month exhibition
- National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma City, with CCI (1993-1995)
- Sam's Town, Las Vegas, with CCI (1993-)
- Calgary Stampede Western Art Salon (1995- )
Awards
- Numerous medals with CCI for Color, Black 6 & White mediums (1993~Current)
- Bully Award for Western Artist of the Year, Canada's Cowboy Festival, Calgary, 1998
- Nominated for Will Rogers Memorial Award, Western Cartoonist of the Year category, Academy of Western Artists, Fort Worth, TX, 1998
- Shell-Turbo Award for contribution to western lifestyle, western art and music category, Western Heritage Centre, Cochrane, 1998
- Will Rogers Memorial Award, Western Cartoonist of the Year category, Academy of Western Artists, Fort Worth, TX, 1999
Published by
- Spur-Of-The-Moment - Fine Art Book, Posters, Limited and Open- Edition Prints
- Leanin' Tree, Inc. - Greeting cards, Gift Items
Music Accomplishments
Featured at
- Canada's Cowboy Festival, Calgary, AB
- Calgary Stampede, Calgary, AB
- Pincher Creek Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Pincher Creek, AB
- Stony Plain Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Stony Plain, AB
- O'Keefe Cowboy Poetry Gathering, O'Keefe Ranch, Vernon, BC
- Maple Creek Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Maple Creek, SK
Radio
- Spirit Of The West, syndicated program; regular airplay, interviews
- The Country Giant (CIGV-FM 100.7) Penticton, BC, airplay
- CBC Radio Calgary, Edmonton; live performances
- CBC Radio, Madly Off In All Directions, live performances and airplay
- CBC Radio, Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean; live performance and airplay
- Rodovre, Kanalen (105.9 FM), Copenhagen; regular airplay
- Nagasaki's Rockin' Country; featured artist, regular airplay
- Buctril M, Thumper and Platinum herbicides, Various VO commercials
- Unity herbicide, Character / endorsement commercials
Television
- The Breakfast Show (Calgary Channel 7), interview and live performance
- Dianne Finstad (RDTV), Red Deer; interviews and live performances
Memberships and Associations
- SOCAN / BMI
- Alberta Cowboy Poetry Association
- Academy of Western Artists
- Alberta Recording Industries Association
