Interview With 1stAngel

David Allen

Welcome to the Artists Blog

1stAngel: When did you first become interested in art?
David: I have been interested in art since I was a young child. I participated in the 4H fair arts and crafts programs from age 7 and in advanced art classes outside of school in my high school years. I always remember enjoying copying the illustrations from the books and newspaper comic strips that I liked. I feel fortunate that I was encouraged by my parents and teachers to develop my talents. After High School I decided to pursue Art and Design as a profession.

1stAngel: What style of art do you use most?
David: My most recent work is a combination of the surrealist and abstract styles. In many of my images I have also utilized text to expand the narrative of the work. By this, I can direct the viewer to a more specific interpretation of the work.

Dreamtime

1stAngel: Has your style changed from when you first began as an artist?
David: My style has changed significantly since I began as an artist. Originally I just wanted to do realistic images, but after training to be a “human photocopy machine” as I refer to it now, I felt the need to explore my creativity in other ways. So in college, I started to work with photography, computers and animation – utilizing a combination of all three of these technology-based mediums helped me to fulfill my creative needs.

1stAngel: What medium do you use?
David: I primarily work with digital imagery now. I have worked in many other mediums but find the digital medium the most satisfying for my creative process.

1stAngel: What made you choose that medium?
David:I like that the Digital medium is very forgiving, in that it allows a great level of creative freedom and exploration. Unfortunately like printmaking and photography before, the digital medium has struggled (and to some extend still is struggling) to be accepted in the “Art world” as a valid medium.

Duality of the Spirit

1stAngel: Do your ideas come from life or imagination?
David: I’d have to say that my ideas come from both life and my imagination because for me they are so intertwined. My imagination is truly inspired by the life events that I observe and this is reflected in all of my work.

1stAngel: How do you choose your images and colours?
David: Many times when putting my images together I will go out and take photos of different objects or natural formations (like cracks in the ground) and then combine several of these pictures in Photoshop – layering and adjusting each. Then I will try to “pull-out” faces or other objects that are formed by the layering effects. This “pulling-out” is done by directly painting over the layered photos in Photoshop or by creating 3D models representative of what I see and then layering them into the image. Colors are modified to fit the mood and intent of the overall piece that I am working on.

1stAngel: Who is your favourite artist?
David: It is hard for me to pick just one artist. But the Artist’s that I enjoy work from the most (and have found inspiration) are: Leonardo da Vinci, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Salvador Dali and David Salle. My current images are mostly inspired by the work of Salle and Dali, in that my images have a Surrealist nature about them.

1stAngel: What is your favourite piece of work by yourself?
David: For me my favorite work changes over time, but currently it is “Shadows of a Memory.” That piece explores the pain that is associated with mental, physical and even sexual abuse. All of us experience some aspect of that pain at some level in our lives. We all tend to hide it and many of us never confront the cause. Working on that piece was one way for me to confront it.

Shadows of a Memory

1stAngel: How much time (on average) does it take to complete a work?
David: On average it takes me about two months to finish a work. It an take longer if I get blocked or just lose interest in the subject matter. I am usually working on 2 or 3 images at the same time and cycle my time between them. There is only one piece (a drawing) that I started in 1994 that is still lingering around. I do intend to finish it someday (I hope).

Trihedron

1stAngel: How well do you take criticism?
David: I have learned to take criticism for what it is – one persons opinion. I have had some harsh critics of my work in the past and I know the devastating affects it can have on an artist both in creativity and life (I stopped working artistically for over 3 years). As a creative person I just have to keep going because most importantly I create my images for myself.

1stAngel: What do you do to overcome a ÔblockÕ?
David: If I get’ blocked’ while working on a piece I have to just put that work aside. By getting away from the work for a while, I gain a fresh perspective when I approach it again in the future. I often see things that were right in front of my face but didn’t notice initially.

1stAngel: How do you know something is ÔfinishedÕ? Is it easy to walk away?
David: This can be hard. It is not always easy to know that a work is finished. Many times I will put a work aside, like I mentioned in the previous question, and start a new piece. Later I will go back to that piece and work on it a bit more, or sometimes just declare that it is finished. Occasionally I will see one of my previously finished works and think of new ways to modify it, but I have rarely done so.

Pisces

1stAngel: Have you had exhibits in galleries?
David: Yes, I have been in several exhibitions. I tend to do a solo show about every three years. It takes me that much time to finish a body of work. In between my solo exhibitions, I will enter one or two pieces in group shows or art competitions around the US and abroad.

1stAngel: Have you any exhibits in galleries planned for the future?
David: Currently I am in the in between period where I am creating new work. I will most likely be looking locally at the end of this year to exhibit my work. This will depend on if I finish my current series or not by that time.

1stAngel: What are your plans for the future?
David: I plan to continue to work on my artwork and exhibit when possible. Currently I work for the Art Institutes Online on a part-time basis and will still pursue teaching in the future.

David, I think your work is fantastic and I thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us in this interview!

David’s sites to visit are as follows:

Home Page: www.david-m-allen.net
Gallery: http://home.comcast.net/~dallen88/mgallery.html
RedBubble Profile: http://www.redbubble.com/people/delphin1
Art Institutes Online (http://www.aionline.edu/)