The Dreamers x Emma Wand - Jen & Benson

1 day ago

Written by

1 day ago

Written by

Welcome to the Dreamers series, created in collaboration with Emma Wand Photography—celebrating the beauty, chaos and magic of real family life. This month, meet Jen Kavanagh of Colourgyp (@Colourgyp), a mural artist and mama-to-be bringing bold colour and creativity to families from her beachside home in Cronulla.

Tell us who you are — what does being a “Dreamer” mean to you

as a couple?

Hmmmm I would say being a dreamer to us means we’re open to life’s adventures, and we truly think if you can dream it you can make it a reality. We have been so fortunate to pursue some of our biggest dreams growing up, Bensen snowboarding overseas, Jen becoming a mural artist, both of us learning how to surf, travelling to amazing countries and now starting our little family!! It’s wild to think these are things we’ve dreamed about now, it's just our life!

How did your story begin, and what first drew you to one another?

Funnily enough we met for the first time at Lost Sunday’s at Ivy! Jen had a big night out the day before for at a friend’s wedding, so she was stretching herself thin by coming out in the first place, Bensen had pulled his housemate and misses out for a night in the city and immediately regretted it – He’s not the biggest club boy. Jen had gone with some surfing friends who were ready for a big one, but Jen being a little bit fragile from the night before snuck off upstairs away from the crowds to give herself a bit of peace and quiet - as she was staring below at the crowd dancing to house music Bensen had approached from behind and says “How good is people watching?”

We were chatting for ages! Bensen was mid-way through a book that Jen had just finished - 12 Rules of Life by Jordan Peterson, we were chatting about life, the importance of education, being in nature, travelling overseas, Bensen shared his experiences about living in Canada to Snowboard and his love for skating - we really got into the thick of it! We had our first kiss after our deep chat and to this day Jen literally remembers thinking “Wow this man will be having my babies”. As cliche as it sounds, the first time we met truly felt like a scene from a romance movie. We boogied all night then we ended up in Bensen's pleasantly clean apartment full of plants with his housemate’s singing songs until the early hours of the morning!

Jen, your art feels deeply personal — how did your creative journey begin, and what inspires the work you make today?

My art has always been an intuitive expression of my feelings and thoughts, the love of art and painting came from my High school teacher Ms Usher, she was a legend! I loved her classes and my best mates to this day were in that class with me! I feel like my art shared a story of who I was and how I was feeling especially during those confusing times in adolescence. My art from the beginning has always been very intuitive and even a little chaotic, it made me feel more connected with who I was and my identity.

Painting never stopped for me, I painted daily after leaving school and would cover my parents house in crazy coloured murals wherever I could! To this day my parents won’t let me remove them, they are crazy, chaotic and busy, so different to my style today. I’m so grateful they allowed me to experiment and express myself back then, it allowed me to discover my style and find what art process I really love, which is big murals! My work is much simpler now, I focus on large scale contemporary paintings that combine organic and fluid colour fields with continuous-line figures.

Bensen, movement and boarding — from skating to snowboarding — are a huge part of your life. What do these practices give you, and how do they shape the way you move through the world?

Nature, architecture, friends, travel, and gratitude. In one word, freedom. The constant risk of injury means for that couple of hours you have to be completely in the moment and everything else in life just goes away. The bills, the arguments, work, it all disappears while you’re out there. It’s almost like a form of meditation. The feeling of being upside down on a snowboard or spinning onto a rail is like tunnel vision. If you’re not 100% focused on what you’re doing you are likely to end up in hospital. For most of my life I’ve been addicted to that feeling of living in the moment.

There are only a certain amount of tricks you can do, but to us it’s not exactly what the trick is. It’s how you do the trick that makes it cool. Subtle movements and body position, everyone has a different style and that’s what it’s all about. Every mind sees the trick differently. Like you can imagine the trick and make it a reality in your own way. It sounds cliche but it really is art. To me it’s the ultimate form of expression.

95% of my friends I’ve met through skating and snowboarding and from the outside these groups might look a little standoffish but they are some of the friendliest, down to earth, hospitable people I’ve ever met.

How does creativity, in all its forms, show up in your life together — and how do you support each other’s passions?

Bensen and I both really value creativity, even in the small everyday ways it shows up in our lives. Some of our favourite things to do together are watching live stand-up comedy, supporting our friends at gigs, and filling every room of our home with indoor plants. We genuinely love being around creative energy and people who are passionate about what they do. I think creativity thrives when you’re calm, relaxed and have the space to just be and we try to create that environment for each other.

We’re both intentional about carving out time for our own projects. Whether it’s Bensen in the garage working on his Harley or me diving into a new artwork, we make space for those moments each week. For a while, Bensen had full reign of the garage, and I had my creative studio in Alexandria, giving us both the physical and mental space to explore our passions without stepping on each other’s toes. Supporting each other’s creativity has always felt natural to us - It’s just part of how we build our life together.

You’re stepping into a new chapter as you prepare to welcome a child — how has this season shifted your dreams, priorities, or creative energy?

Stepping into this new chapter has definitely shifted our perspective. There is definitely a deeper sense of purpose now, everything feels a little more intentional. A big priority for us is creating a life where Jen and our child feel supported, secure, and free to chase their dreams the same way we’ve both had the opportunity to. For Jen, this season has meant gently stepping back from the art business and some creative projects to prioritise rest and prepare for motherhood. It’s been less about constant output and more about nurturing, which, in its own way, is still a creative process. Buying our property in North Wollongong was a huge milestone for us, and becoming parents really solidified our desire to build a stable foundation for our family. We’ve also been enjoying as much one on one time together, slow days, simple moments, knowing that life is about to become a bit more full and a little less still. It feels like a season of grounding, building strong foundations, focusing on our family!

What values guide the way you live, create, and build a family — and how do they show up in your everyday moments?

Gratitude is a big guiding value for Bensen. His mind moves quickly, so he’s very intentional about slowing down and noticing the little things, trees, animals, rain, quiet moments. The good and the bad. He tries to approach life with appreciation for all of it. And something his dad always told him that still sticks is the golden rule: “Treat others how you’d like to be treated.” That principle shows up in how he works, how he loves, and how he plans for our family. For me, I would say health and mindfulness guide the way I live and create. Before my third trimester, my mornings always started outside, a run, a walk with girlfriends, a surf, or Pilates. Moving my body in fresh air and sunlight gives me clarity, energy and motivation for the day ahead.

There’s something powerful about beginning the day intentionally. My mornings are a little slower now, still soaking up sunlight, just with a cup of coffee in hand instead. But the value remains the same - Being present, taking care of your body and mind, and setting the tone for the life you want to build.

Looking ahead, what are you dreaming into next — individually, creatively, and as a family?

For Bensen, it’s about building a successful business, creating a happy and secure home, and one day teaching our child how to surf. There’s something special to him about passing on skills, confidence and a love for all board sports! For me, I’m ready to begin building my little village. I’ve always dreamed of a big family and because I come from one I always reflect on how my siblings were like my best friends growing up and how we kind of raised each other. I want to focus on being the best mum I can be, while still nurturing my creativity in ways that feel close to home and aligned with this season

of life.

Together, we picture a life that’s grounded, outdoors and connected to the coast, raising little beach bums who spend more time in the sun and salt water than anywhere else!