Kevin Scott Allen

Why do you like to make art? I make art because I have to. From the very beginning, I have always "made stuff". I realized that painting is something I am supposed to do. After I graduated from Art School, I left painting alone for awhile, a hiatus if you will. Although I wasn't producing paintings,I found myself filling up sketchbooks, scribbling on napkins, still hoarding ideas and subject matter. At the gentle urging of my wife, I decided to step back to the canvas. The initial step back in the realm of something I am supposed to be doing was a cleansing process. By this I mean I had to shed all the influences and other mental "junk" that I think is inherently part of going through Art School. A Professor who I have a great deal of respect for hit it on the head when he said "You'll spend the rest of your life unlearning everything you learned in school. Wow, how right he was. My friend Doug was a big influence as well. Having him around and making work with him helped me to begin to "unlearn" the art school lessons. What subjects do you prefer? I grew up in wholesome, well adjusted, well rounded household. It makes no sense that I am attracted to painting the darker, seedy side of life. I think I tend to paint this kind of subject matter because it just more interesting....it has that element of "uncomfortableness" to it. Its not safe or predicable. What processes and techniques do you use? Why? I put paint on the canvas. I put paint where the painting tells me to put it. How is your work different from others? Hopefully it moves you. The painting on doors is a different approach to the tradition of painting on canvas. The final thing is size...the stuff I do on canvas is huge. A HUGE and CONSTANT THANK YOU goes out to to my wife, Stephanie for her understanding and patience throughout this obsessive, self absorbed thing I do called painting. You are a treasure, you are special and I couldn't do it without you.