We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allison Gillies. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allison below.
Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
Hello “CanvasRebel”,
Through perseverance and resilience, I have made a full-time living as an Educator and Artist.
I had several jobs through high school, college, and life – including waitress, food prep, barista, sales of books and art supplies, landscaping, Biology lab assistant, assisting curator at a Museum of Science and History, accountant, caring for canines, etc. It certainly was a winding road of figuring out my path…. albeit I was always creating Visual Artworks each year.
The journey into my profession began in the mid-nineties when I was determined to become an Art Professor, because I was fortunate to have incredible and inspiring mentors – who changed the trajectory of my life.
Artists and Professors who personally inspired me in the Arts include Louise Freshman-Brown, Dr. Debra Murphy, Ke-Hsin Jenny Chi, Dr. John Calabrese and Susan kae Grant. THANK YOU to All who taught life lessons and encouraged my growth as an Artist.
Friends who have become Family, Fellow Artists, Educators and Colleagues…you all have shaped my life.
Knowing what I know now…please remove the stigma away from Community Colleges, because they are excellent choices in helping to support students on their life journeys. Education can open doors in our lives…and ultimately you make the place – whether it’s college or a job; your own determination, your own Spirit, and following your goals.
My own winding roads in life have influenced me as an Artist and Educator with understanding, patience, and compassion. I began my teaching career in Academia in 2003, and grateful for my faculty position as a Professor of Art at Dallas College – North Lake Campus.
I grew up mostly in the Midwest (near Cleveland and Chicago) and moved to Texas in 2001 to be closer to my Mother Carol and to attend Graduate School at Texas Woman’s University. I have been an active exhibiting Artist for over 25 years, teaching Community workshops and volunteering with Canine Companions (love this nonprofit organization – https://canine.org/).
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
For the past 21 years, I have been a professor/instructor and taught many courses (approx. 300) in Art including all levels of Life Drawing, Artistic Anatomy, Painting, Art History, Design, Art Appreciation – all around the DFW metroplex. Proud of awards for Teaching and going above and beyond to help my students.
I grew up mostly in the Midwest (near Cleveland and Chicago) and moved to Texas in 2001 to be closer to my Mother Carol and to attend Graduate School at Texas Woman’s University.
I have been an active exhibiting Artist for over 25 years, teaching Community workshops and volunteering with Canine Companions (love this nonprofit organization – https://canine.org/).
Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media are my favorites and continuing to explore new media. Check out my website: https://allisongillies.com/
My own winding roads in life have influenced me as an Artist and Educator with understanding, patience, and compassion. I began my teaching career in Academia in 2003, and grateful for my faculty position as a Professor of Art at Dallas College – North Lake Campus.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
//Sharing stories about resilience…//
Hard knocks include the loss of my sister Maribeth in 1987 due to a car accident, and the loss of my Father Duncan in 2000 due to cancer. Certainly, factors in my artwork and the full understanding of life’s transience – and going after your goals.
Through these trials (as we all endure) creativity and ART has been my constant touchstone. Plus, grief counseling and therapy helped me to navigate through hard times, and I share our ‘CARE Team’ with my students.
A lot of my artwork reflects upon life’s transience by juxtaposing skeletons, anatomy, and the human body in a variety of narratives. Many drawings and paintings in my portfolio are working directly from life, a lifelong journey and passion.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
//GOAL OR MISSION driving my creative journey…//
The greatest rewards of being an educator are seeing students’ success. My students are learning to develop hands on skill sets in the Visual Arts, exploring media, creativity, and imagination; this cannot be replicated by Artificial Intelligence. The mission is for my students to learn beyond the course objectives, and hope they are of service and care for others and develop a World view.
The past several years I have been juggling caregiving and that is a challenge in time management. Shout out to all the caregivers – and if you are caring for a parent or relative…please give yourselves grace and you’re not alone.
Presently, working on Paintings and Drawings for an upcoming Faculty exhibition at Dallas College – North Lake Campus, Art donation in support of Canine Companions, and additional creative projects ahead in 2024. Volunteering for Canine Companions has brought me a lot of joy, and our Dallas College students experience community outreach too.
I am an enthusiastic educator devoted to my students and their success in the Visual Arts and strive to share knowledge and make connections; to be a catalyst and make a positive difference in people’s lives.
A favorite quote,” What lies behind us, and what lies ahead of us – are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” (Attributed to R.W. Emerson)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allisongillies.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/allisongc24/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=617401644&sk=about
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-gillies-m-f-a-0a1061a/
- Other: Tik Tok @_allisongillies