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About Liz Allen

Studied at Croydon College of Art and Design 1975-76, then Bath Academy of Art 1976-79, and obtained BA (Hons) in Fine Art (Painting)

Liz Allen with cactus

a while ago

Read about my past? or go to the present

After art college, continued painting in various back bedrooms and attics, basements and bathrooms, etc, but quickly ran out of space (we were encouraged to paint large at college).

Worked in a variety of dull jobs so that I could continue painting without too much work distraction, but found I’d stopped painting anyway, so got a more interesting job at the South Bank Centre exhibitions department, then at the Hayward Gallery, London. After seven years I had a strong urge to start painting again.....In 1994, moved from London to Brighton, gave up the day job and got my paints out. Got a chronic back problem which stopped me from working for 5 months (probably an acute form of artists' block).

The present

For the last eight years, after many explorations, my preferred medium is a combination of monoprint, collage and paint, but not always at the same time! My work has been inspired by travelling and other cultures, as well as landscapes and terrains (on which icons of those cultures are imposed)... the work always has an experience embedded in it, which is its anchor, whether it's the experience of being in a place, or the experience of being me at a particular period of time or moment. The 'experience' is given form with a medium chosen for its suitability. Some experiences are given a free reign to evolve as they wish, where I am a bystander in the process. Others seem to require tighter control and are the result of a very conscious mental process. (New series coming up soon!)

Ongoing work includes the series of map paintings.

For the last seven years, during the Brighton Festival in May each year I have had an open house exhibition in the Kemp Town district of Brighton, but am now relocating to Saltdean, a few miles east of Brighton.

workshops

In 1997 I started running monoprinting and collage workshops due to interest expressed at my open house exhibitions and these are continually developing. For more information see the workshops and courses page.

I'm a qualified teacher of English as a Foreign Language and in teaching art to adults (City and Guilds 7307) and I also run monoprinting and collage workshops at Montague House, Brighton, a day centre for adults with physical disabilities.

about my work: see
map paintings page
monoprints and collage page
digital collages page

Here are some of the places I've shown my work more recently:

solo exhibitions: The Phoenix Gallery, Brighton..............Artslink, Limelight Cafe-bar, Camberley, ........The Casson Gallery, Eastbourne........The Sanctuary, Hove..... Taking Liberties Festival, Terre a Terre Restaurant, Brighton....... The Hawth Theatre, Crawley..... Horsham Arts Centre

Group exhibitions: Worthing Art Festival, Northbrook College....... Lewes Contemporary Art Fair, Thebes Gallery, Lewes........Beatrice Royal Contemporary Art Gallery, Eastleigh....Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston, Lincs