Mary Allen, although not Cornish by birth, has lived in the county almost all her life. Her family moved to Gwithian in the late 1940s when Mary was two weeks old and where her father started a manufacturing business.
She explains: “My brothers and I had the most amazing childhood. We lived close to Gwithian beach and from the word ‘go’ I was fascinated by boats and all things related to the sea. I loved sketching from my earliest years, and living close to St Ives I couldn’t not be influenced by its artistic heritage as well as the ever-changing coastal waters, sleepy, hidden south coast creeks, and the timeless quality of the granite and rocky outcrops.”
It wasn’t until Mary had raised a family and retired that she had her first solo exhibition in 2007.
“It was amazing,” she said. “I sold a few pieces and from then it has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I find I am now painting full-time – retirement, what retirement?! Someone asked me whether I wished I had started painting seriously years ago, but I don’t. I am a different person now, with life experience, and I don’t think I could have painted with the freedom I now enjoy.”
Mary’s paintings capture a moment and mood and are characterised by their texture and depth. She often uses a palette knife in her work which allows her freedom to mould the paint and use layers of colour and glazes to create texture and depth.
Her daughter is the highly acclaimed Cornish painter Rachel Mia Allen.
