Allison Green: The Healing Garden

Artist’s Biography

 

What’s your favorite art memory from your childhood? 

When I was 11 years old I had an art teacher named Mr. Falcone. He appeared like an eccentric old beatnik with a long black beard and colorful beret. I can still remember the first day of his art class, which began with his list of art rules. The first rule was Thou shall NOT copy. He inspired his students to think outside the box and make lemonade from lemons in every sense of the phrase. He encouraged us to work on large-scale painting and he even suggested that we purchase large plywood panels from the hardwood store to paint on. Those raw four-by-four-foot surfaces seemed massive and exciting to me as a young middle school student, and working on these paintings was my introduction to the exhilarating magic of creation.

When did your interest in art begin?  

I have always loved art and I have been drawing and painting my entire life.  As a little girl, I had loads and loads of sketchbooks. As a teenager, I was introduced to both acrylic and oil paints in art class. Once I experienced painting on canvas, I knew that I was tapping into something very special. It is an exciting feeling when you meet with the medium you are meant to work in. For me, painting has always been a very natural and intuitive process.

Speaking about your creative process and art making, how do you progress from concept to a finished painting? How long does it typically take you to create your work?  

My process begins with two central foundations. The first is very physical: simply put, just color.  I often paint on a new canvas for weeks, putting it on the ground, just layering color until I feel satisfied with a certain color field as the foundation.  Sometimes I know what is coming next, and sometimes I have no idea where the painting is going. Often, I have several paintings at this stage just sitting around the studio. I could move forward with one immediately, or it could take up to a year. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoy this phase in my work.

The conceptual foundation in my painting starts with simply honing in on whatever my eyes are devouring at the moment. When something—usually in nature—is stimulating me visually, I know it is important to learn more. I spend a lot of time researching whatever the object of my desire is at the moment, in order to uncover the equally compelling qualities these subjects surely possess. For example, the alluring pollination technique of orchids, butterfly migration, and the spectacular nest-making ritual of the African Weaver Bird have inspired some of my most exciting series of paintings. When research uncovers an exciting characteristic with which I can weave a powerful metaphor throughout a body of work that is when the magic happens for me and the concept moves forward.

In addition to researching a subject, I often visit botanical gardens, natural sites, and other places where I can learn more. When painting plants, I grow them in my studio if possible. Working on a large-scale painting takes months. I work in oil, so it is always a layered process. Often, there are multiple paintings from multiple series in the works simultaneously. In painting, as in life, so much happens in the breath or break I take from the work. It is as important to me to step away from artwork as it is to consistently paint.

Do you have a studio routine?

My work has always been inspired by nature but I live in the city, so I have a garden in my studio. I always tend to my plants and water my garden when I arrive. It is a way for me to reconnect with both nature and my work, in my private sanctuary. Sometimes I listen to music, and other times I enjoy silence. I always shut my door, change into my very messy painting clothes, and take time to disconnect and reconnect with nature and my work before I paint.

How did “The Night Garden” series come about?  

“The Night Garden” series came about while I was in the middle of working on another series called “Celestial Navigation.” At the time, I was very inspired by butterflies and the way they migrate. Many species of butterflies and birds use “celestial navigation,” which means they follow light sources in the sky such as constellations and the moon, to go far distances during migration. So, I was very immersed in looking at constellations and the night sky. And I was clinging to the metaphors about discovering lightness in the dark and so, as often occurs, these ideas spilled from one series to another. I remember during this time, I walked into my neighborhood florist and discovered a King Protea sitting there on the counter. When I brought it home, I felt like I had a real king living in my studio! From here, I began thinking about plant names, botanical language, and the incredible influence and power a name can have. I was also looking at plants at night on my evening walks. Not just night-blooming plants, but the evocative appearance of all plant life illuminated at night. I was enjoying that feeling of getting a glimpse into a beautiful secret world when looking at plant life at night. As I worked on this large painting, the subjects—Star Gazer lilies, King and Queen Proteas, and Peace Lilies–just started to open up and tell their stories as I painted them. I felt like a privileged guest, grateful to be granted entry into this magical garden at night.

 

 

Your art often references birds and nests. What is your connection to this fauna? Flowers and nature are also present in your paintings. Is there a particular relationship between your life experiences and your interest in these subjects? 

For as long as I can remember, I have just loved painting nature. When I was young, our home was on the periphery of a deep forest and I would spend a lot of time playing in the woods with my sister. This abundant landscape has remained with me.

In my art, flowers, trees, and plants—both simple and exotic—have always been my muse. In college, I made a lot of figurative paintings, but the plant life was always enveloping my figures. It was always larger than life, and more vibrant and alive than my figures felt. Over the last decade, when I went through infertility, loss, and then motherhood through adoption, the symbolic imagery of birds, eggs, and nesting rituals became readily accessible imagery I could identify with. From larger-than-life flora to interesting pollinators and fauna, these subjects have developed into recurring characters in my paintings.

What art inspires you? Do you listen to any music while you paint?  

I am inspired by so many artists. The two painters who influenced me most at an early age were Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keefe. Learning about O’Keefe gave me permission to dive deep into flowers unapologetically and at a time when “ugly art” reigned supreme. Frida Kahlo’s intertwining of personal narratives and themes from nature had an absolutely profound effect on me as a young woman. In each chapter of my life, I continue to reconnect to the art and life of Kahlo. Feminist artists like Judy Chicago and Kiki Smith also remain founding inspirations for me. I love music and often have music on when I am painting. Sometimes, I’m listening to a song on repeat, and other times an instrumental or acoustic album—anything from classics like Bob Dylan or Nina Simone to Cat Power or some ambient classical music mix. I listen to a range of genres but I do love having music on while I work.

What are you thankful for?   

I have been through many life challenges.  I am a mother through adoption and I am incredibly grateful every day that I get the privilege to be my daughter’s mom.  I am also thankful each day that I go to work at my studio, and I am reminded that my work is my art. I worked hard to call myself a professional artist and equally hard to become a mom, so no matter what life throws at me, I always have a grateful heart.

 

 

Artist website: Allison Green

IG

Editor: Kristen Evangelista