Artist Statement

I paint in what is known as the American Impressionist style; I’m less concerned with photo-realism, and more concerned with capturing the mood of the piece. My first love is the landscape, but I often use still-lifes to hone my drawing skills; I’ve recently added animal portraits for variety and sheer fun. My hope is that viewers of my work will get a sense of the mood of each piece, and be able to pull something from it to take with them as they go.

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Artist’s Biography

Local artist, Neal H. Allen, has been painting in pastels for twenty-five years, but it has only been since his retirement in 2018, and most specifically during the pandemic lock-down, that he was able to devote his time and energy directly to growing as an artist.

 

Neal has been critiqued by the late Louise Frechette, PSA, and has taken workshops with Sean Dye, PSA, Kathleen Galligan, PSA, Mary Padgett, PSA and Micheal Chesley Johnson, PSA MPAC.

 

He was a founding member of the Syracuse Pastel Artists (now defunct) and holds memberships in the Pastel Society of Western New York, the Pastel Society of America and the Ontario County Arts Council, where he serves on the board of directors.

 

His work has been included in exhibits with the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, the Chenango County Arts Initiative, the Pastel Society of Western New York, the Ontario County Arts Council, the Adirondack Pastel Society Adirondack National Pastel Exhibition, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire Annual National Juried Art Show, the Arkell Museum Annual Juried Art Show, the open View Adirondack Art Show (Old Forge, NY) and the Northeast National Pastel Exhibition, also at View.

 

Solo shows by the artist have been seen at the Cherry Branch Gallery in Cherry Valley, NY, the Arkell Gallery in Canajoharie, NY, NBT Bank Headquarters in Norwich, NY and locally at the Bloomfield Library and the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center.

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Neal has also donated his work to the New York State United Teachers’ Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Auction, the Family Support Hawaii Benefit in Kailua, Kona, Hawaii, the Old Forge Plein Air Paint-Out and locally to Paint Palmyra and Hospeace in Naples, NY.

 

Neal is originally from Vermont and lived in central New York teaching public school general music for thirty-three years. He currently resides in Canandaigua, NY with his wife Tracy, a writer/researcher, and a grumpy but very well meaning rescued Cockapoo named Jefferson.