When surrounded by natural beauty, some can only gaze in awe. Artist Alison Parsons channels that beauty into animated paintings saturated with color.
She began her journey into color when she lived in the Seychelles, a tropical island off the east coast of Africa. The island’s flora and fauna made their way into her paintings, which at once caught the lavish hues from her surroundings. As she puts it, “Within moments of our arrival everything smelled, tasted, looked, felt, and sounded larger than life. We lived amidst a jungle of exotic spice and fruit trees. Living in a tropical paradise was absolutely energizing. At once I began to paint with saturated color and it continues to this day regardless of subject or medium.”
Her work doesn’t stop with tropical plants; Alison has counted landscapes, the unique architecture of Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs, and the frenzied energy of the Oaklawn Jockey Club among her artistic subjects. Working in both acrylic and watercolor, she brings a sense of life to iconic Hot Springs landmarks. Alison also works with gold leaf paintings that glimmer with the brilliance of her surroundings. Her lively brushstrokes and bold color choices have made her a favorite of local residents and national collectors. Of her style and technique, Alison says, “My acrylic work explores a direction implementing loose, spontaneous brushwork. What distinguishes this from my traditional watercolors is my intuitive approach to each painting, allowing the work to unfold spontaneously. No matter what subject matter, I respond to the moment by expressing it with my interpretation of how I feel about what I am seeing. I translate my experience through saturated color, expressive brushstrokes, striving to capture a moment and instill a sense of place inviting the viewer to become involved in their own personal journey.”
She attended college at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas where she majored in Studio Arts. The beauty of Alison’s paintings can be found all over the world. Her work has been recognized and exhibited at places such as United States Air Force Academy, American Cultural Center of the Republic of Seychelles, Historic Arkansas Museum, the Democratic National Headquarters, and the White House during the Clinton administration. She was commissioned by an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. to create watercolor paintings of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas for reproduction as note cards. In 2004 The National Park Service invited Alison to pilot the Artist in Residence Program at Hot Springs National Park, where she continues to serve on their selection committee. Alison's artwork is included in the permanent collection of the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas and many corporate and private collections worldwide.
Alison makes her home in her place of inspiration, Hot Springs. It is only fitting that she would continue painting in the Natural State, either at her lakeside studio or outdoors. With the opening of her signature gallery, Alison Parsons Gallery, Alison realized her dream as an opportunity to be a contributing factor in the arts district of downtown Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, voted #4 in John Villani’s “The 100 Best Art Towns in America”. Located in the center of "Gallery Row" in the historic district of Central Avenue, she has 1800 square feet to display and sell each series of her original paintings, as well as her limited edition prints and note cards. Her gallery is truly a Hot Springs gem.
