Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Allen.
Michael, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Well I had always dabbled in art, whether it was playing with clay and making little animals or painting/drawing. But I did not proceed with it, and it was never really a thought. So, I had random jobs here and there but nothing in the arts. A very critical event was when I attended HCC Main and took a photography course. This really inspired me to use my creativity and start taking photos on all my travels across Europe, the Middle East and the US. One of my favorites is the one I added. When I graduated from there, I went on to study psychology at UH main campus. It was there, when I took some painting classes, that I had finally found my calling in art. From there I took as many classes as I could (to the point that the supervisors said some of the classes I took couldn’t count towards anything because I maxed out those areas). I then graduated cum laude with my BA in Fine Arts, with a focus in studio art, and my minor in Art History. I had a few local Show-and-Sells (artists got to survive somehow lol), and now I travel between Houston and my new home in Milano, Italy.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’ve been asking those same questions to myself. I mostly do a lot of paintings, but that is not just with acrylic, I use all kinds of mediums, some bought some made. I really like to see what happens when I add this to that. I feel like I am recreating memories I have and finally get to express how they made me feel and then how they make me feel after I have put them into a creation. Some of my pieces of work have been inspired by my friends. The way I view my friends and their personalities leads me to create how I see them and our friendship/bond. I love just getting into my own mind and creating something that can turn a head, catch an eye, get a gasp or some kind of reaction, I’m in it for that. I have this odd ability to recall some of the oddest/saddest/angriest moments of my life and turn them into art. That has truly been helpful to me, especially when the viewer is drawn to it and really connects with it as if we somehow shared the same experience in our own walks of life, Connection.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
I wish I would have just listened to my creative heart/mind and blocked out all others who said art was not something that can really be pursued. I could’ve possibly learned a lot of techniques a lot earlier. Following what your heart says to you may be the scariest thing to do, because as artists we create something that generally we are really critical about. Now we are showing it to others, and with the way social media works, to the whole world. That is intense, but in the end, I know I created something that I absolutely love, and it was brought to life with my own hands. One piece of sound advice is to document all your works, as I hadn’t. With that said, Be Bold, Be Glamorous and mostly Be You!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Well I’ve only put on a few exhibitions and am currently not showing anywhere since I only recently moved to Milan. So, for now some of my works can be seen digitally on Instagram or Facebook. Support as many local artists as you can, but for now, just follow me, and in the near future I will be showing and selling my work.
Contact Info:
- Email: Michael.Allen.Artist@gmail.con
- Instagram: michael_allen_artist
- Facebook: Michael Allen Artist and Michael Allen Art
Image Credit:
Paul Stricklin
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