ALLEN FIGONE • San Jose, California

Allen Figone was born (1949), raised, educated and currently resides in San Jose, California. Allen went to San Jose City College earning an Associate of Arts degree in commercial art and then to San Jose State University where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in painting in 1973 under the direction of John DeVincenzi (life drawing and painting), Wendall Gates (life drawing and painting) and Raymond Brose (illustration and technical/editorial design).

Over the course of his life long career as an artist, Allen has won awards in local shows throughout the San Francisco Bay area such as the Los Gatos Annual Juried Watercolor Exhibition, The Olympiad of the Arts, and Los Altos Arts Alive to mention several. His paintings have been featured in galleries throughout California, Oregon, Arizona, New Jersey and Montana. Admired by fine art connoisseurs, his work is proudly displayed in private collections throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

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 States Regional 2006, 2007 and the 2008.  He also was a finalist in the 2008 and 2009 Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition. 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.  He 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.

“My painting philosophy is simple: to capture nature as I see her and to depict the colors I see as exactingly as possible. Art is about seeing, interpreting and painting the performance of what is unfolding before the artist.”  c

Education, training and background:

• San Jose City College, Associate of Arts degree in Commercial Art

• San Jose State, Bachelor of Arts in Painting, 1973

• Studied various techniques of life drawing, painting, illustration and technical design with John DeVincenzi, Wendell Gates, Dr. Raymond Brose, San Jose

• 28 year career; Show awards in the Bay Area: The Los Gatos Annual Juried Watercolor  Exhibition; Pleasanton Fair; The Olympiad of the Arts

• Exhibited in galleries in Los Gatos, Saratoga, San Francisco, Napa Valley, and Carmel

SELECTED RECENT EXHIBITIONS:

2003 – “ A Sense of Place” – One Man Exhibition - CaliforniaView Fine Arts®, Los Gatos, CA

2005 – “Delphinius: Art of the Farallones Sanctuary – San Francisco, CA

2005 – “Art for the Parks” – Mini-100 – Jackson Hole, WY

2006 – “Art for the Parks” Mini-100 and Top 200 – Jackson Hole, WY

2006 – “ Oil Painters of America Western States Regional” – Lee Youngman Gallery, Calistoga, CA

2006 – “The Art of Seeing: Nature Revealed Through Illustration” – Natural Sciences Special Gallery, Oakland Museum of Art

2007 - “Oil Painters of America Western States Regional” – Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2007 – “Landscapes and Urban Realities” Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA

2007 – “Paint the Parks” – Top 200 – Topeka, KA

2007 – “A Sense of Place, California and the Southwest” – One Man Exhibition – CaliforniaView Fine Arts®, Los Gatos, CA

2007 – “Fairly Frugal Collector", Christopher Queen Galleries

2007 – “ Second Annual Miniature Show” - Planet Bronze Gallery, Bozeman, MT

2007 – “Hillside Club Annual Show” - Berkeley, CA

PRIVATE COMMISSIONS AND COLLECTIONS

Irene Dallis, Opera San Jose

The Honorable Don Edwards, Former United States Senator

PUBLICATIONS

2005 Art for the Parks Catalog

2006 Art for the Parks Catalog

RECENT ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS

Oil Painters of America 

HISTORICAL INFLUENCES

Early California Impressionism