Allan Dunfield
Allan Dunfield was born in 1950 on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In his paintings, he lets himself be inspired by the landscapes and atmospheres of the West Coast, the central subject of his work. Greatly thirsty for space, he paints boxes of light, treasures within the reach of those who know how to “feel” the earth, the sea and the trees.
Allan Dunfield - Spirit of the West Coast
His date and place of birth
Allan Dunfield was born in Vancouver in 1950. During his teenage years, his family moved to New York, where he graduated from high school with a major in Art. In 1969, he entered the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York, where he attended for two years. It was during this period that painting entered his life.
His education, his career
Although Allan first worked as a professional chef, his artistic career took root in his twenties and sprouted throughout his life, nourished by the richness and beauty of the Canadian West Coast. In 2000, encouraged by his success with collectors and galleries, he left his job to devote himself entirely to his art and settled on Vancouver Island, which proved to be an unfailing source of inspiration.
An active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists since the beginning of the millennium, Allan became a signatory member in 2012 and was awarded the highest distinction, senior member status, in 2014. Today, Allan paints daily in his studio in Qualicum Beach, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
His work, his art
Allan Dunfield's work is largely inspired by the geography of the West Coast. Whatever the season, Allan travels around his corner of the country in search of the perfect moment, the magical moment that he can perpetuate on his canvas.
Greatly thirsty for space, he paints the treasures within the reach of those who know how to “ feel ” the earth, the sea and the trees. His landscapes always carry a light in which one would like to walk. Fleeting, it filters through the spray, bursts onto a beach vibrant with sunshine or gets lost in the contours of the glacier.
In her book Klee Wyck (1941), painter Emily Carr speaks of the spirit of the West Coast. In her descriptions, she shows her admiration for the energy she perceives: “ the vegetation overlooking the beach is lush; the earth abounds with such vitality that every seed emerging on its surface germinates and bursts '. In this space where, in the words of the writer and poet Earle Birney, " dawn is as gray as a seagull's wing ", Allan Dunfield lets himself be guided by the atmospheres, sounds and scents of this beauty. fragile.
Allan Dunfield's style is distinguished by its purity and his work, a sensitive homage to the perfection of nature, leaves the observer with a strong impression of freedom and serenity.
Allan Dunfield has been represented by the Au P'tit Bonheur Art Gallery since May 2016, exclusively for Eastern Canada.
