We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jacqueline Doyle Allison. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jacqueline below.

Jacqueline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share more about my art. The primary focus of my painting series from 2020 through 2023 has been sequential and a continued emphasis on finding the positive in every situation; even if that is sometimes a difficult process. My current painting series, which was just released in February 2023, is titled “Silver Linings,” and reminds us that there is always a silver lining in every cloud. The important thing is to remind ourselves to look! (:

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am Jacqueline Doyle Allison, an abstract painter living in the Mountains of North Georgia. My husband and I lived in the Atlanta Metro area for many years but relocated north several years ago and love the peace and slower pace of our rural lifestyle.

My colorful, abstract acrylic paintings are created in series of between 7-9 paintings and I paint 2-3 series each year. Each series has a positive or hopeful theme and I am influenced by nature; music and positive topics. To help inspire my painting, I keep a creative journal and jot down ideas when they pop in my head. That way, when I am ready to start a new series, I can flip through my notes for an idea that resonates at that time.

Each painting is created by applying multiple layers of paint and I allow each one to dry. The drying time allows me to take a step back and view each layer with a new perspective. The next layer is always inspired by the previous one and I like to allow peeks of the multiple layers to show through. These layers of paint also create texture and that adds a tactile dimension to each painting.

Over time, my painting style continues to evolve but overall, I consider myself an “abstract expressionist.” To me, that means I paint expressively using my intuition vs. looking at something and replicating that on my canvas.

A recent addition to my paintings is the use of neon colors. I mix them in with neutral background colors such as gray, beige and black along with more traditional shades such as red, yellow and blue. I love how the bright colors “pop” against the neutral and more customary hues.

Coming up next is a new series based on music jargon and my working title is “Perfect Harmony.”

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The two biggest questions I get from non-creatives are “Do you know what your finished paintings are going to look like when you start them?” and “How do you know when your paintings are finished?”

As an abstract expressionist, the biggest challenge, and also the biggest joy, is the uncertainty of a large, blank white canvas. Looking at that space, I know that I want to create something beautiful that will bring happiness to anyone who looks at the finished painting. I have a general idea of the direction I want to go when I start a new series. I also have a background color or range of colors in mind based on the overall theme. And sometimes, I have a new technique I want to try or incorporate, such as the neon colors I have been using the last year. But the end paintings always surprise me and I love that I never know at the start exactly how the finished pieces will turn out.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I started painting in the late 1990’s, it was in a group environment with an instructor. I loved the exchange of ideas between teacher and students and enjoyed the novelty of trying new techniques and mediums. Over time, I have found that it is important to trust my own instincts as an artist and not rely on others for influence or techniques. I have found that my art is now more distinctively personal and am so happy that my paintings resonate with and are so enthusiastically received by collectors, family and friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jacquelineallison.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquelinedoyleallison/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacquelineDoyleAllison?ref=stream
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-doyle-allison-921498b6
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/JDAllisonArt/

Image Credits
Photos by Jacqueline Doyle Allison