Michael Allen creates subtly active and atmospheric works of both small and large scale. His paintings and drawings depict the transition from moment to moment in what can be argued as the benign of daily life. Allen's body of work effortlessly migrates from landscape to still life to figurative. He makes small-scale works from direct observation and in turn, creates studio works utilizing memory and invention.
Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Allen received his MFA from University of Delaware and his BFA from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He has been the subject of six solo exhibitions including, “Landscapes,” at the Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA (1998).
His work has been part of numerous group shows including, “Art of the Gettysburg Review: Representation in Contemporary American Painting,” Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA (2007), the Mid-Atlantic traveling exhibition “Visions of the Susquehanna: 250 Years of Paintings from American Masters,” (2006-2008), and “Transforming the Commonplace: Masters of Contemporary Realism,” at the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg, PA (2003). Allen's work was also featured in the October 2005 issue of “Art & Antiques” magazine.
