Allan Stephenson hails originally from England and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest. He has been a professional artist for over thirty years and his work can be found in many collections both corporate and private and is represented by several galleries and publications. I suppose growing up in England has influenced my idea of what a landscape is, and I am certainly drawn to pastoral places reminiscent of the the English landscape. I love trees, especially the deciduous types that take on different shapes and colors throughout the year. They seem to express in form the interaction between the force within to grow and the force outside-the elements, that modify that force. This makes them very poetic. I find there is a language in the natural world that I attempt to decipher, and so I am always looking out for certain combinations and groupings in the landscape, certain phrasing of imagery that say something to me. In this regard there is a long history to draw upon and I take a traditional approach to rendering what it is I see. I apply myself to the task of using techniques already laid down by artists of the past. I am not trying to break any new ground and feel it is an illusion to believe that every artist has to do so. Basic craft rather than self expression is what I am attempting to follow. Hopefully I can be of service and provide a reminder to the viewer, not just to myself, of the beauty that surrounds us.