Born in the English West Midlands, Benfield studied at Stourbridge College of Art and then went on to do further study at Wrexham College of Art. After leaving the academic world, he set up his own studio near London and concentrated on drawing and painting figures. Within a few years, his work was collected throughout Europe and his reputation was firmly established.

An award-winning illustrator, Benfield has a natural talent for depicting things as seen. His work is spontaneous and is reflected by his drawn lines and dashes of color. The figures dissolve in and out of their backgrounds and move across the surfaces of his paintings and graphic works. He paints rapidly and discards most of his paintings and drawings, keeping only those that he feels are perfected in their conception rather than overwork those he feels are not correct. In recent years, his work has begun to be exhibited in galleries in America as well as in Europe.