We were lucky to catch up with Allison Swalley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Probably when I was a teenager. I would always be sketching. Any opportunity I had I would just draw. My mom still has alot of my drawings to this day. When I got into high school, I took all of the art classes I could, but I never thought I was good enough. In 2019, I decided to just follow my dream and go for it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Most of my life I have been in the construction field and loved it. When I had my second child, I decided to put my future on hold. Growing up, I always had a love for art, but that dream just seemed to fade away the older I got. In 2019, my youngest son was diagnosed with Autism. It turned my world upside down. I did a lot of soul searching and trying to find myself in light of his diagnosis. I turned to art once again.

I started drawing and painting. I was creating different variations of how I present my art on canvas. I grew up always drawing and sketching, mostly cartoon figures and athletes. It was always a gray scale for me. I didn’t use color a ton. When I picked up a brush, I noticed my eye always went toward black and white so that is what I stuck with. The first year I started painting, I used mostly black acrylic paint on white canvas. Now, the past 2 years, I have not only added color, but different media too.

I think my imagination is what sets me apart from others. Bringing all different types of media into the painting has started to set me apart. I try my best to honor any request my customers might have, but I also try to add something to it.

I think I am most proud of how I have established my brand and myself as an artist. I have worked so hard on getting out into the storefronts and working shows to spread my name. I currently showcase my work at Uniquely Handmade For You in Wadsworth, Ohio. The store is a place where artists, like me, can displays their work. They owners are like family and go above and beyond to help you.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, personally, seeing where I started and where I am now is definitely rewarding. My goal has always been to grow since day one. I do, however, love to see my customer’s face light up when they see my work. Especially when the little kids walk into the store or show up at one my shows and see their favorite athlete or musician on display. That makes it all worth it for me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My drive is my kids. I’m always wanting to do better and really push myself to see what I am capable of. I want to show them that anything is possible in this world. My inspiration, however, goes to my little brother and the love for my city of Cleveland. We lost my brother in late 2020. He and I would always watch the Cleveland Browns growing up with my father. That is where the idea to do athletes started. In many ways, he is along on this journey with me. I am blessed to have the support from all my family and friends along the way!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @216_artist
• Facebook: 216 Art