"rolling along"
75" x 39" x 30"
mixed media

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Allen Wynn is a self-taught Cincinnati, Ohio artist who grew up on his grandfather’s farm in southern Ohio. His life in the rural Midwest didn’t expose him to very much art, but his grandfather would carve fanciful wooden figures and animals, especially fish. This created Allen’s artistic spark and he has experimented in various mediums ever since.

He has attended a number of ceramic workshops in New Mexico and Arizona, as well as, trained at the Creative Craft Alliance and Louis Kalmbach Design Studio, both in Shreveport, Louisiana. His mentor was the late artist, Clyde Connell, whose emotionally honest works continue to inspire Allen. He has had exhibitions throughout the United States and is in public and private collections. This is his third solo exhibition at the gallery. 

IN HIS OWN WORDS

I have developed my own sculptural medium in order to achieve the tactile, responsive quality my work requires…starting with a wooden framework, I then create my own paper pulp from natural and recycled materials mixed with sawdust, resin, and sand from the nearby Red River. I apply thin layers of this substance to the armature, adding or subtracting and modeling until the contours and texture are just right. I finish the pieces using different paint finishes, creating an effect of subtle depth that changes according to the light and the time of day.

I grew up on a farm in southern Ohio. Strong women have been prominent in my life…their strength and earthiness influenced the development of my technique and art process. Much of my work depicts female figures working and doing chores around the farm.

My works are a way for me…and hopefully the viewer…to connect to memories and feelings from the past…it’s incumbent on me to help viewers picture thoughts, whether good or bad, that create the emotions I wish to express.

I hope my work brings a meaningful link to roads traveled and of people met along the way.