BIOGRAPHY
After many years teaching in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, Charlie Allen devotes his time to painting and traveling (mainly Italy, Ireland and France). For several years before teaching, Charlie worked at the Peabody Museum
(now the Peabody-Essex Museum) in Salem, MA; while there, he was asked to copy some paintings (marine scenes) and his interest in oils began. This interest later led to portrait work. His latest commission of a portrait was for The Governor’s Academy (Governor Dummer) in Byfield, MA. Charlie’s portrait work and oils paintings hang in various institutions and private collections on the North Shore.
Charlie Allen is a graduate of New England School of Art and Design (Advertising Design and Illustration), Massachusetts College of Art (BFA in Art Education) and Lesley University (M. Ed. in Art Education-Creative Arts and Learning). He recently retired as Assistant Professor (Art Education Department) at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA.
Charlie has exhibited work at Pingree School Art Gallery (Hamilton, MA), Marblehead Arts Association (Marblehead,MA), Palais Des Congres (Grasse, France in 2011) and the Marblehead Festival of the Arts. He is currently showing his paintings at Arnould Gallery in Marblehead, MA. Charlie and his wife Chris reside in Salem, MA and they have a wonderful daughter Esme.
In the 1980’s, Charlie was commissioned by the town of Marblehead to paint Marblehead Harbor as a gift for the Grasse, France-Marblehead Twinning. The painting was presented as a gift to the town of Grasse during the twinning ceremony at the time in Marblehead, MA.
Charlie recently completed an exhibit at the Marblehead Arts Association, “Italian Hours: Shadowing Henry James” (July 29 - August 25, 2013). Charlie and his wife Chris stayed a month in Florence, Italy (May-June 2012). They lived at the Villa Il Palmerino (Associazione Culturale Il Palmerino), which supports artists (visual, writers, dancers, etc.). Charlie spent most of his time sketching, and from these sketches he returned home to his studio in Salem and completed 16 paintings for this latest exhibit.
Needless to say, Italy is a beautiful country and much loved by the Allen’s. So too is France loved! This past year (May-June 2013) a return visit to France was made. Charlie, again, spent most of his time sketching (...whenever possible due to rain) and taking photos. Upon returning to Salem, he submerged himself into painting France/Paris, his current project.
This May, Charlie and Chris will return to Italy for a lengthy excursion including a short stay in Florence, then on to two weeks in Venice (a dream amount of time), followed by two weeks out- side of Rome (Poggio Mirteto). Again, he will return home to paint. Charlie feels fortunate to have these travel experiences and the time to record in paint.