Art Chowder November | December 2021 Issue 36 | Page 44

Allison ’ s dedication to painting and extending her knowledge of art in all its forms is what kept her going . Her work is heavily influenced by a love of fantasy , animals , and most of all , her father . Of him , she says , “( He ) was always supportive and I think that reflects a lot in my work . My dad loved tigers and was affectionately called “ Tiger ” by our family . I was 13 when he passed away , so I pushed even harder into drawing as a way to cope . I think I still pull on that today .”
When asked if she remembers her first painting she chuckled softly , “ My first painting was on a 4 ” x 5 ” card . It was a butterfly on a birch tree . A month later I got my first commission to recreate the image only larger . I painted it on an 8 ” x 10 ” canvas and was then getting it ready for shipping . I had placed it on the floor and for some reason , my cat , which did not have a history of doing such things , decided to add his own twist to my painting by peeing on it . I ended up painting it again , and the second painting was much better than the first . All in all , that painting had three different renditions , but we don ’ t talk about the second one .”
From there , Allison went on to do a few freelance projects , painting murals and windows for local businesses as her health allowed . She also slowly transitioned into more traditional media using acrylics , color pencils , and scratchboards . It wasn ’ t until 2017 that her “ side-hobby ” making costumes overtook the bulk of her time . According to Allison , she now spends 90 percent of her time
44 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE