About Richard Allman: Artist and Illustrator

Plymouth regeneration drawings and heritage, fascinating or just quirky buildings are my main interest, although you'll see from the galleries that there's a wide range of other subjects - from boats, reflections and bridges to allotments, trees, road markings........

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I'd like to hear your views!

At art school in London many years ago I worked on huge 7 foot square abstract colour field paintings. But since then I’ve concentrated on looking around me and interpreting what I see.

I have two areas of work. First is my interest in regeneration projects and the change to our surroundings. I’m fascinated by the process of change to buildings all around us. Much of this work is large scale drawing projects concerned with demolition and reconstruction – buildings partially there, the machinery being used and the superb new vistas opened up, often only temporarily. I am most interested in the process – when the building is completed, my fascination seems to disappear!

I think a lot of people relate more easily to such drawings than to plans or models. I’m really pleased if this work helps to involve people more in the change to their surroundings, to really see what’s going on and form a judgement. Photography is vital in recording change too, but drawing can be more subjective, personal, quirky and expressive in complementing photography.

The second area of work is subject led – responding to a whole range of subjects which fascinate me, from boats (I am a sailor myself with a special interest in classic boats), bridges, reflections and shadows to yellow road markings, allotments, gates, topiary and interesting buildings which aren’t going to be demolished but which just speak to us in a unique way.

I usually work in mixed media on paper, and occasionally in oils. Mainly I work outside, drawing in front of the subject.

I also teach drawing, which I think is still the most direct form of communication. Drawing enables us to really see what is around us and to interpret it in whatever way we choose. Please contact me if you are interested in joining a drawing course.