Allison Hamilton

1520 Maxime St.

Ottawa, ON K1B 3L1

(613) 745-3108

Soft or ‘Dry’ Pastels come in rich vibrant colours and a smooth creamy texture. I love the endless stroking and blending they facilitate to create just the look that is needed. They allow me to share the world with others through “the myriad hues of loveliness” that they deliver. I can express the world as I see it and create beauty for all to enjoy and experience, mirroring the beauty of the world around us. Many objects capture my fancy and entice me to paint them. Being able to distil the essence of a subject, be it animal, human or sunset and make them appear real without being photographically so is liberating.

I began my artistic adventures at the tender age of about 5, plein-air sketching with my artist mother. Throughout my academic life, art was a small but necessary adjunct to my studies. After a 26 year career in computer software and occasional art classes in various media, I serendipitously encountered soft pastel, for the first time, in 2002. I fell in love and now pursue artistic adventures including soft pastel painting. My current areas of exploration are human and animal portraiture as well as mixed media with soft pastel and wood. Over the years I have used my artistic talents in the diverse fields of costume and fashion design, stained glass and marquetry, to name a few.

My work is in private collections in England, the United States and Canada.

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