find the best.

allison tinney is incredibly talented, but her ambition and hard work are equally matched. in high school allison worked under hope brannon, the most prestigious art educator in the state of alabama, at the montgomery academy. through ms. brannon the undiscovered talent of allison was revealed. due to allison's hard work and talent she was able to attend rhodes college on a fine arts scholarship. allison was also a college athlete (tennis) and found it very difficult to get in the studio hours required of fine art. thus, she decided to study the works of others as an art history minor. all the while she never lost interest in studio art and was even able to take a painting class. allison has taken a job in memphis, tn and is readily available as a commissioned artist. 

                                                                           self portrait
i asked allison a few questions. here is what she had to say:
q: what inspires you most?
a: I don't know that I have one thing, but I guess it's the endless possibilities in life. knowing that i can do anything if i set my mind to it has always given me the motivation to go after whatever dreams i have, big or small. 

q: fill in the blank. i like to paint/draw ____________. 
a: people and clothing
q: fill in the blank. i love __________.
a: god. the life and talents He's given me to grow as a person, the people He's placed in my life, and the opportunities He's given me to explore different cultures.

q: what is a random fact about you? 
a: I actually love going to see a matinee movie by myself occasionally. most people ask me if it's embarrassing or if i get weird looks or just feel lonely, but to me it's a little bit of a stress reliever (especially during finals when I was in college) and it forces you to talk to people you wouldn't ordinarily talk to. AND if you're lucky there's very little people in there so you can laugh as loud as you want, cry as much as you feel like, put your feet up and not worry about disturbing people. everyone should try it some time.

allison is available for commission. please visit her website: allisonltinney.com for further information on her art.

“The Absence of our True Self”

Is boldness 

only accepted in the eyes of a child,

or is it our conscience

that hinders our streak of wild?

Is it the industrial

world

that leads us to conform,

or is it our attempt 

to be in the norm?

Is it the absence

of our true self imposed by society,

or is our figure

lost along with our humanity?

It is our childhood

that forms

what might be, and it is hope

that grants us remedy.

       -Allison Tinney

where there is love (of the unseen), there is art.