Hi, i’m allison

I’m a painter and arts manager currently living and working in Norfolk, VA. My work consists of both traditional landscapes and textured abstracts, with most pieces landing somewhere in between. I like to explore the surprising elements of nature—a shock of color in an ordinary field, or the jumble of shapes that compose a cloudy sky. My paintings may remind some viewers of home or another familiar spot. For others, it might awaken a sense of wanderlust. By focusing on texture and paint layering, my goals is to draw viewers in for a meditative moment and encourage closer looking. These qualities are satisfying to me in the creation process and I want them to be satisfying for the viewer. As a part-time painter, my top priority is often exploration—giving myself the time and space to play with new methods, media, palettes, and styles—in order to rise above the seductive call of perfectionism and allow my work to live in the here and now.

I’ve been drawing, painting, and making things for as long as I can remember. I received a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Penn State University, where I also spent a semester studying at Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy. I also hold a master’s degree in arts management from George Mason University. I’ve spent the past fifteen years working in museum exhibition management and am currently employed by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. I’ve also held prior positions at the National Gallery of Art and International Arts & Artists.