Amazing People -Part 1- Martin J. Allen Botanical Artist

In my L O N G blog from last night I was telling you of the people who have some back into my life...people from the past. I was overjoyed when one of those friends paid me a surprise visit to the studio last week. We had a lot of catching up to do! I met Bev....oh must have been almost 20 years ago now....although neither of us would like to admit it. Anyway, we went on a Botanical Illustration course together run by a guy who also turned out to be close to me called Colin Swinton. I went to prove I couldn't paint or draw and actually turned out something that I could hardly believe was mine. Anyway, another chap went on his course called Martin J. Allen. Martin was ill at the time with M.E. and really didn't know if he would manage the two days course. He did, and between bouts of being ill, he painted. He went on to submit work in the R.H.S. show of his paintings and won a Gold Medal! Anyway, I asked Bev how he was doing and he's just put on an exhibition and just to show you how absolutely fantastic this guy is go to his website at

http://www.martinjallen.com/pageID_3967352.html

to see how truly amazing these paintings are go to this link here http://www.martinjallen.com/pageID_3967355.html How anyone can paint in 3 dimensions like this, i'll never know!

Quite by accident I came across this piece of work that I had done some years before. It's a quotation by Georgia O'Keeffe the famous flower painter that painted larger than life flowers, which made you feel oh so small. Sadly she died in 1986 aged 99. The quotation reads:

Nobody sees a flower, really,

it is so small. We haven't time -

and to see takes time

like to have a friend takes time.

The quotations continues:

If I could paint the flower exactly as I see it no one would see what I see because I would paint it small like the flower is small. So I said to myself - I'll paint what I see - what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it - I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers. ...Well, I made you take time to look at what I saw and when you took time to really notice my flower you hung all your own associations with flowers on my flower and you write about my flower as if I think and see what you think and see of the flower - and I don't.

I've seen Georgia's work and I have seen Martins catalogue. The catalogue does not do the paintings justice. You can see every little hair on the flower. The painting takes your eyes into the very core of the flower. The picture is in sharp and soft focus as if it has been taken with a camera. Amazing!

2 very different painter with 2 very different styles, but both with the ability to make you connect with nature in a way you never thought possible. Well done Martin! I hope your exhibition is a sell out and I know how very hard you have struggled against your illness to overcome and achieve what you have today! Your a star!

By the way folks, the paintings are selling fast so get your orders in!