Michael Allison

I like to fly blind and see if I can bring what’s inside my head onto the canvass. I work with acrylic paints because they suite the needs of my style – something that dries fast, can be applied in layers, and is economical when I get ambitions to work large (which I often do). I say “fly blind” because the painting process I stumbled into over the years involves a masking of each layer of paint after application. Working light to dark, I apply a single coat of paint with a roller and then block off portions of the canvas with an adhesive (typically tape or glue) where I don’t want the next layer of paint to appear. This process is repeated until the canvass is essentially entirely covered in adhesive hiding a painting underneath. Then I take a deep breath, remove the adhesive, and hope the painting that’s revealed underneath looks like what I imagined in my head. I won’t lie, sometimes the painting matches what I had planned, and sometimes it does not. However, I’ve never been displeased with the end result (yet?). I think that’s what I enjoy most about the process – the hours and hours of labor always end with a bit of a surprise at the end. I usually add a little brushwork to the piece at the end to give it some pop. Portraits are my burgeoning passion. If you enjoy my style and would like to commission a portrait of a particular person (or animal). I can be contacted at mikeyallisonart@gmail.com.