Allan Hall

Growing up in Keene, New Hampshire, I began studying art at the age of ten under Helena Putnam, a professional landscape painter who owned an art shop in downtown Keene. Every Saturday morning, encouraged by my mother, I attended Helena's private lessons. Those early experiences ignited a lifelong passion for painting, and from that time forward, I have rarely set my brush aside.
During college, I was encouraged to explore contemporary approaches and experiment with styles inspired by artists such as Matisse, Miró, and Klee. While I appreciated the value of personal expression, I found myself drawn to a different path. I wanted to understand the techniques and principles of the Renaissance masters, studying symbolism, proportion, the Golden Section, and the harmonious integration of figure, still life, and landscape within a single composition. I was fortunate to continue my education under a respected New Hampshire still life painter whose instruction provided the classical foundation I had been seeking.
Each of my oil paintings begins with simple geometric forms and the fundamental elements of design: line, shape, form, texture, color, and scale. From this foundation, I gradually develop familiar objects and scenes into carefully constructed compositions. Working primarily on linen and masonite panels, I build the surface through multiple layers of paint to achieve depth, richness, and luminosity. A final glaze enhances the color and light, bringing the painting to its completed form.
My subjects are deeply personal and rooted in the world around me. Flowers from my wife's gardens, treasured antiques from my collection, and landscapes inspired by my travels all find their way into my work. These objects and places carry memories and meaning, allowing me to create paintings that are both intimate and timeless.
Light remains the defining element of my artistic vision. Inspired by the work of Andrew Wyeth, Johannes Vermeer, and Jan van Eyck, I continually strive to capture the quiet beauty and sense of illumination that distinguish their paintings. Ultimately, my goal is not simply to reproduce what I see, but to create an idealized vision of it: a perfect object, a perfect place, or a fleeting moment elevated through light, color, and composition into something enduring.

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