Lets Put on a Show!

Hey everyone!  For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Allison. I am currently a senior in college finishing up my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in 2D artwork.

Ever since I was a freshman just starting in the art program at UW-Stevens Point I have been watching seniors year after year create all this beautiful artwork and put it in the gallery. Finally, its my turn!  This year has been stressful to say the least, but so worth it. I wont recap my entire experience, because that is for another post, but I will say I have accomplished more this semester than I thought I was capable of. I saw my art reach new heights, and I found a drive to succeed in myself I didn’t know existed.

The thesis for my show says that I think.

I have been absorbed by the thought that who I am is formed by the influences of people and moments in my life.  I am particularly interested in the people who have made a positive influence on my journey, and the way they make me feel.  I want to use my art to discover who has truly impacted me as a person and who has encouraged me as an artist.

Oil paintings are my most common form of art work.  When I apply the pigments to the canvas I use very small amounts of paint with a lot of paint thinner.  This helps me to layer the colors to create visual depth in my paintings, especially in the background.  I use a wide variety of color in my paintings and do not limit my color palette.

Because of my fascination, I have been working on painting portraits of the people who I believe have held a significant role in my life.  The figures in my work are painted to seem more realistic, while the backgrounds remain fields of color with mood and memory being the focus.  I chose portraits because I feel that portraits have held a significant role in history.  People have been painting portraits long before photography was invented.  Taking the time to capture someones image in paint means that they are important in some way.  I feel the time I spend creating these pieces is just as important as the time I spend with the people.

Check out the work from the show here!

The Big Reveal / Natalie and John

The thesis for my show was about people who have impacted my life and painting them as a way of showing what they mean to me. My friends Natalie and John both decided they didn’t want to see their portraits until they were hung in the gallery which gave me a great opportunity to get their reactions on video. Since most of you don’t know them, I thought I would explain a little bit about why I chose these two.

Natalie and John have been a big part of my life over the last few years. This makes them two of my more recent friends to make it into my show. I met them both going to Cru, a Christian organization on campus at UW-Stevens Point. They might not know how much they’ve done for me, but their influence has made me a better person in so many ways.

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Over the last few years, I have gotten to learn from them, watch them grow into incredible people, and help them overcome the challenges that come with being in your 20s (Because I am SO old and wise #22andstillkickin).
I met John first. We were both appointed to a leadership role in Cru called Fireseeds. At the time I was a junior and John a freshman, but he had an energy and a presence that nobody could ignore! After our leadership role was fulfilled, we began getting lunch together on a pretty weekly basis. When we have our weekly chats, we talk about God, our families, school, and anything else we can think about. Sometimes I can even convince him to take a long lunch, skip class, and goof off with me. John was the last person I painted for my show, so he was updated weekly about my progress and who I was painting.  I remember the day I asked him if I could paint him. The conversation went something like,

J- “So you still haven’t gotten Natalie to look at her painting yet?”

A-“No matter how much I beg she still says no. She’s a stubborn one.”

J- “Who are you planning on painting next? Alec?”

A-“No, I already painted him.. I was actually hoping you would let me paint you?”

J-“Oh yeah right, like you’re going to paint me.” *realizes I’m serious* “Oh my gosh! are you serious?! That would be so amazing! Wait! I don’t want to see mine until the show is up either!”

A- *Eye roll*

I met Natalie later the year I met John.  In Cru there is a process we call “follow-up”. Follow IMG_0365up is simply, meeting with someone who wants to know more about the Lord and has taken a step to either recommit or start a relationship with God. Natalie was assigned to me, which I can only assume has to do with the fact that she and I are 2 of the only redheads involved in the organization. But as it turns out, we became really great friends too! Natalie is like a little sister to me, and one of my closest friends here in Point. I even got to go with her to get her first tattoo! When I asked if I could paint her, she was so excited and we planned a date for me to take some reference photos of her.

I still remember the day I introduced Natalie and John. Natalie and I were having our usual meeting for the week, and we decided to skip and eat lunch instead. I asked her if we could go sit with my friend John, she wasnt sure, but I said that they would get along really well. Lo and behold a friendship was born! I am so sad to be graduating and leaving these two, but now whenever they miss me they can just hang out together! Except for when I come visit of course!