Attention art lovers, lovers of beautiful scenery  and  lovers  of national parks—we have a program for you!  Local artist Allen Figone will be at Santa Teresa Library on Saturday March 16 at 1:00 pm displaying his art and speaking about his experiences in various national parks.  Take this opportunity to meet the artist and hear him speak about his creative efforts representing some of America’s most famous national parks.

A San Jose native, Mr. Figone received his training at San Jose City College and San Jose State University.  He has won awards in local shows throughout the Bay Area and his paintings have been  featured in galleries from Oregon to New Jersey.

From his website:  “Most recently Allen has achieved National level recognition as a finalist in “ The Art of Seeing Nature” Oakland Museum of Art,  “Arts for the Parks 2005 and 2006”(triple finalist), Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and “Oil Painters of America Western Regional Juried Exhibition 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.  He also was a finalist in the 2008 and 2009 Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibitions.  The Grand Canyon Association purchased Allen’s painting “Drama Along Bright Angel Trail” which was one of two paintings that were finalists in the 2008 Paint the Parks National Exhibition Top 100.   In 2009 Paint the Parks he was again a multiple finalist with paintings in the Top 100 and Mini 50 as well.  Allen was also one of 66 contemporary artists selected internationally to represent Zion National Park in “A Century of Sanctuary” The Art of Zion National Park, National Exhibition (in commemoration of its 100 year Anniversary), held at the St. George Museum, St. George, Utah.  Allen’s painting “Afternoon Shadows” has now been added to the permanent collection of the St. George Museum. 

As an artist Allen has taken the skills he learned doing technical Illustration and combined that with what he has learned from studying the Early California Impressionists, which he has admired and studied for years, to create a unique style of painting to shape his aesthetic vision. 

‘My painting philosophy is simple: to capture nature as I see her and to depict the colors and values I see as exactingly as possible. Art is about seeing, interpreting and painting the performance.’