Lanky Yanky Studio.

Kathleen Allen Artist and Photographer:  I am an American born artist based in Donegal, Ireland. I have been practising art and photography since 2001. I do traditional black and white film photography and paint with watercolours, acrylics and oils. I specialise in watercolours as I love the diversity of the medium and the way I can lead it and yet allow it to give spontaneous results. There are times when I combine painting with photography as there are no boundaries in art.... it is an open universe to creative thoughts and applications. I also develop black and white photographs onto various surfaces in the darkroom. My favourite subjects to photograph are animals and ancient ruins and old buildings in cities, villages and historic sites. I try to capture the soul of a creature and the essence of a place. I only use black and white film and vintage cameras as I love that traditional aspect of photography. Black and white photography also lends itself to hand toning and other hand manipulation. 

I've had opportunities to paint a mural on full sheets of wood for Chernobyl Aid Ireland to be sent to an orphanage in Chernobyl, to design and paint murals for a children's museum in County Wexford and to paint a mural in St. Aidan's Church in Fethard-on-Sea, County Wexford. My work has been commissioned for presentation to former president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, former American ambassador, Jean Kennedy Smith and former Canadian ambassador, Loyola Hearn. I am blessed to have had these opportunities and I love to pass on my knowledge and experience to young people as I find it builds self-esteem and gives them great pleasure in creating something beautiful out of a blank piece of paper or canvas or wood etc. Art is the great passion of my life and if I can make someone feel emotion from something I have created then I consider it a success.