FEATURED ARTIST - LOUISE ALLEN
How long have you been a member of the GCWS and why did you join?
I met Marilyn Bishop (GCWS Founder) at a Christmas house tour and was so impressed by her that I joined GCWS shortly thereafter, just as she was organizing the group.
Have you held any positions with the GCWS; if so, what positions?
No.
What are some of your artistic achievements?
I have participated in all of the GCWS shows (except for this year). A few years ago my husband, Sam, and I held a Christmas fund raiser art show at his former law firm (Strauss and Troy in Cincinnati, Ohio). In addition, my work has been shown in several venues in the Village of Glendale, the community where we reside. Those shows were held variously in the Village Square, the Town Hall and the Lyceum. We have also taken several courses for a week at a time in Traverse City, Michigan, and several workshops from national artists.
Describe your usual procedures for creating a painting.
I feel most confident when I enlarge and trace onto my paper if I’m going for reality. Or else I paint intuitively, where I feel more confident with color and organic shapes. I prefer no faces! I’ve been told by at least two teachers “Louise, you do everything wrong but it works!”
How long have you been painting?
15 yrs. My husband Sam and I began painting together when he retired from his law firm. We always say how lucky we are to both have the same passion.
In what medium, other than watercolor or acrylic, do you work?
I work in liquid acrylic on yupo and for last year and a half I’ve been using Prismacolor markers on mat board.
Where do you get your inspiration for paintings?
Often it just comes out of me. I also work from photos. Sometimes I’ll see something in the newspaper and get a gut response to it, tears in my eyes, and feel a need to paint that. But, because my work is usually abstract and I change the photo so much, you can’t even tell it’s the same thing.
Are you a teacher?
No.
Where do you see yourself in the future? (ie., is painting a hobby; will you enter shows; do you see yourself teaching?)
I see myself always painting.
Is there anything else you would like for us to know about you and your art?
I really love everything I do. I love the process and I love the work. At a show more than one person has looked at my work and said to me “it’s my favorite in this whole show but I wouldn’t want to own it”! My husband, Sam, has been handicapped for 11 years, but we still paint together and it’s so wonderful to have this creative outlet together. We have painted in Ireland, twice in southern France for a week at a time, and we rented a cottage outside of Nice for three weeks. We did the same thing in Italy. Whenever either one of us sells a painting, we give that money to the Adolescent Health Center at Children’s Hospital of Cincinnati.
