Pop-Up Exhibition Robert F. Allen & Jeff Brunner

Robert F. Allen grew up in a home deep in the woods, fifty miles north of Syracuse, NY. A self-taught artist, Allen graduated with honors and won a full scholarship in architecture to Syracuse University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for eight years, living in Japan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and the United States. Today he lives on twelve acres in the Pennsylvania woods near the Susquehanna River, where he maintains an art studio, a 150-year-old barn art gallery, and a small cottage. Robert Allen’s work encourages one to experience his creations through touch as well as sight. His large scale acrylic paintings, which he labels as “outsider art,” are comprised of many layers of paint, creating highly textured canvases that show his appreciation for and the influence of Jackson Pollock.

In early 2010, Jeff Brunner started illustrating an alphabet book for his new niece. As the book neared completion, he grew worried that he would stop making art. From that concern, a second project was born: 365 Critters – or a year’s worth of animal illustrations. The plan was to share completed images using social media (Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter) and mail finished paintings to participants who agreed to follow him online. In addition, Brunner wanted to create a community to support and inform his work and in giving it away he could thank people for their input as well as learn not to be attached to the works he created. Brunner has a BFA in Printmaking from Edinboro University and a Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He lives in Pittsburgh and produces his work under Hey Beast Studio.