The art of Irene Allen

The book The Art of Irene Allen: Energy, Excitement, and Mystery was created by Tony Allen “in gratitude for the joy and privilege of being Irene’s husband for almost 54 years.” Tony writes, “Irene Allen spoke about her art as an attempt to capture the ‘energy and excitement and mystery’ she found in the universe.” Irene died in 2020.

The design of The Art of Irene Allen, which I have mimicked here, is by Amy Web of Mockingbird Design. This, Irene’s Village Voices page, was made collaboratively with Tony, and it draws on his book for all its text. Unless otherwise noted, the text is Tony’s words. VV’s digital producer is Jim Fredricksen. Photographs marked “JH” were made by me.

Biography

Educated at Middlebury College and Johns Hopkins University, [Irene] became a biology teacher, first as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, and then at the high school in Brookline, Massachusetts.

We both joined the Peace Corps [but] didn’t meet each other until returning to the states...I was assigned to a teacher’s college in Manila; Irene taught biology in the provincial capital.

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She later studied computer science at the University of Rhode Island and Brown University, and then worked in Cambridge as a senior programmer and designer, creating online activities in science education. For Irene, this was a delightful pairing of science and art.

When grandchildren arrived, Irene helped with childcare while continuing with her art.

And, when retired from her career, she turned to painting with determination and persistence. [Her] love of art was not a retirement project, but a life-shaping interest.

During these years, she volunteered with the food pantry at First Unitarian Church and also founded and ran the church’s bookstore for 12 years, renamed Irene’s Book Nook in her honor.

She also shared her website skills for the Village Common of Rhode Island, an organization of member volunteers offering mutual support and community as we age.

“With a father who sold trees and shrubs, a brother who makes his living selling daylilies, and my own two degrees in biology, I was easily led to a strong interest in nature. My interest in fine art led me to studies at Rhode Island School of Design in drawing, printmaking, illustration and painting. My work is now increasingly focused on painting details of the natural world, especially leaves, stems, and stone and water.”

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Artist Statement

I have always wanted the viewer of my work to see more than the subject matter. This initially led me to use close-up perspectives and bold, fanciful colors to present a less familiar view of commonly seen rocks, leaves, water, or blossoms.

In the last few years, I have been evolving toward a more abstract, non-representational imagery. I want to express more directly the energy and excitement and mystery of life, without the distraction of recognizable objects.

I have chosen to obscure references to objects in nature that sometimes creep in unconsciously, in order to emphasize what lies behind the surface. This has often required me to follow a slower development process of building up layers of partial insights in a search for a satisfying conclusion in each piece.

I have also begun to use earlier work to create paintings in series. New variations may diverge widely from the original source of the series. These abstract variations often incorporate elements of underpaints from unrelated sources, such as my earlier landscapes or botanical studies. In addition, I have increased my use of linear marks to emphasize texture, form, motion, and energy. That seems to have the effect of bringing my work into a more cohesive style and vision.

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An eye for inspiration

Photos to Paint is the name of a folder where Irene stored images she gathered along our daily walks together. They offer a glimpse into her process and aesthetic, revealing the elements of nature that inspired her work.

There is so much we overlook, while the abundance around us continues to shimmer, on its own. — Naomi Shihab Nye

Studio

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The Ceruleans

Irene’s first art group, the Ceruleans, were women who had studied together at the Rhode Island School of Design. The Ceruleans had a common love of plein air, nature-based themes in their work, and offered camaraderie in their endeavors with group critiques and shows. They held exhibits in numerous venues across Rhode Island, as well as in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine.

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“[The Ceruleans’ artworks] capture the energy of the color blue. Each artist interprets in her own way how she sees ‘blue’ in its various forms and manifestations in the world around her. Considered by many to be the color of peace, loyalty, and clairvoyance...the color blue surrounds us.”

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Botanicals

Irene was an inspired gardener and enjoyed planning the location of plants and flowers so they would complement or contrast with each other — in height, in color, in their different flowering times. Her flair for color and love of the garden is reflected in her lasting delight in painting floral themes.

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My garden features multiple species of bright red flowers. In my paintings, their leaves often assume a role almost as important as the blooms and buds. My goal is to capture and accentuate the gesture, thrust, and unique personality or each plant to reveal the rhythm and energy of the life force within.

Sunday

The First Unitarian Church of Providence, along with being our spiritual home, was an inspiration for Irene’s artwork. The light glowing through the sanctuary windows, a majestic magnolia tree behind one such window, the varied music of the church services, these are reflected in her work.

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Underfoot

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I look; morning to night I am never done with looking.
Looking I mean not just standing around, but standing
around as though with your arms open.
And thinking: maybe something will come, some
shining coil of wind,
or a few leaves from any old tree —
they are all in this too.

Soundscapes

Another thread to my work takes a more fanciful turn to abstract interpretations of motion, energy, and sometimes imaginings during musical performances. Bold and intense colors are allowed free rein here. – Irene Allen

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New Hampshire

Trips to our Franconia cabin in New Hampshire were important. Inspired by the deep woods of the White Mountains, Irene would set up her studio on a porch and immediately get to work.

I let the flow of nature soothe and inspire me. – Irene Allen, quote found in Irene’s art notes

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Favorites

Some of these favorites are on the walls of the house today. Also pictured here are a few from the section in her archives she labeled Favorites.

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I am interested primarily in producing brightly colorful abstract images, where viewers are invited to bring their own interpretations. I often try to resist any suggestion of familiar objects, figures, or elements of the natural world in both the work and the title. I want to encourage an active process of questioning and engaging with the piece.

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Recently I have been working with layered textures. Initial layers may feature strokes with bold, graceful gestures, or rambling calligraphy or a scattering of paint drops. Additional layers may be built with paint scraped or squeegeed thinly over the uneven surfaces of earlier marks. Some layers may be broad areas of flat color giving shape, order and relief from the jumble. Ragged lines produced with a palette knife provide emphasis and focal points. My guides are spontaneity, improvisation, and serendipity. – Irene Allen, 2015

Song Cycle

In her last years in the studio, Irene was at work on a series of paintings she called her Song Cycle, inspired by the classical music that she enjoyed. She produced seven such works and planned to have at least ten for a show in the Atrium of the First Unitarian Church in 2020. Due to her illness and pandemic restrictions, the show was cancelled. When the church reopened a retrospective exhibition in the Atrium accompanied her memorial at First Unitarian Church, October 9, 2021, in celebration of her life and work.

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The path to heaven doesn’t lie down in flat miles. It’s in the imagination with which you perceive this world, and the gestures with which you honor it.

I am free to shape my life without the limitations of past experiences or expectations of others. – Irene Allen, quote found in her art notes

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The Song Cycle was of particular importance to Irene. She was thrilled when her Song #5 was accepted early in 2019 for the annual Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Foundation Show. The juror was curator of contemporary art at the RISD Museum of Art.

Song#5 is the latest in my Song Series. All are abstract expressions of my joy in listening to music. Many in this series are inspired by the sounds in nature of breezes, birds, and the burbling streams, for example, but some relate to human performances involving a variety of rhythms, tones, instruments, and playful or thunder tunes. – Irene Allen

The title for Song#4, A New Twist, suggests one possible interpretation relating to music. You may imagine a group of performers using different instruments and stage presentations. They react to each other in a coordinated rhythmic pattern, expressing a progression beginning with a simple melody to strong chords and back to simplicity.

Dragons

Irene’s fascination with dragons was long-standing. From her home studio, she produced soft-sculpture dragons the size of humans. Children enjoyed jumping into the lap of a dragon that once sat in our front hall; in a nearby room, a flying dragon still gazes peacefully from the ceiling.

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I call this winged creature “Lotsirbi”. I consider her to be from a humble origin with her simple calico patterns, but with a desire to indulge herself a little with satin and sequins. Her goofy grin shows that she doesn’t take herself too seriously. – Irene Allen

Pawtucket Arts Collaborative

Irene dedicated a great amount of time to the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. She was a longtime member of its board and worked to schedule members to spend time at the PAC gallery, keeping it open to the public.

I created this image by overlaying a previous painting of mine so that only traces of the original are visible. This transformation resulted in a new idea with hints of what went before. We all go through life with our past gradually fading from view and our energy forging new directions based on selected pieces of that past.

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As my title suggests, I have been exploring the role of opposites. With an abstract piece there is more emphasis on the elements of the image, instead of a clearly defined subject. I hope viewers will notice line quality, color relationships, variety of shapes and textures. I want to encourage viewers to bring their own ideas to the painting and be part of the construction process.

Awards

Irene sought out opportunities to exhibit and share her work in juried shows and other venues. She won numerous awards, which thrilled her, but neither the awards nor rejections seemed to distract her from the steady call of the studio.

• 2016 “Award of Merit” at Attleboro Arts Museum members show, Attleboro, MA
• 2015 “PAC Award” at Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Foundation show, Pawtucket, RI
• 2014 “PAC Award” First Place at Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Foundation show, Pawtucket, RI
• 2013 “Second Place” at Spring Bull Gallery’s abstract show in Newport, RI
• 2012 “Best in Show” at Spring Bull Gallery’s waterscape show in Newport, RI
• 2012 “Second Juror’s Award” at East Greenwich Library’s winter’s eve show, East Greenwich, RI
• 2010 “Best Representational” at Attleboro Arts Museum members show, Attleboro, MA

Livable RI Poster Campaign

Irene had a deep concern about the environment, reflected by her participation in the 2019 Livable Rhode Island Poster Campaign. The project called for a civic alliance to reverse global warming. ...Irene had five of the project’s 25 posters...

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My Symphony, a poem by William Henry Channing

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to see a close-up

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