Benjamin A. Vierling was born in San Francisco and been studying painting privately since he could hold a brush. His work utilizes the renaissance technique of mixing egg tempera & oil paints, as learned from Philp Rubinov Jacobson in Austria. Working from his California atelier in a 19th century convent, Vierling has been exhibiting internationally since 2004. Specializing in mythical portraits, arcane symbolism, and vanitas themed still lives, his paintings have appeared on numerous book and album covers, including Joanna Newsom's critically acclaimed record, Ys.