Alison Leigh Menke
Humacao, Puerto Rico
Alison Leigh Menke is an expressive impressionist currently living on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. She loves painting directly from life and in particular creating works en Plein Air. Her approach is a life long study in nuance. “Why paint? Firstly, I want to celebrate the energy of natural light by striving to suggest it in my own work and ideas. Secondly, to experience that “playful” feeling of handling my medium.
Alison was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1987. She spent much of her youth in Alpharetta, GA and then Maryland. She graduated in 2010 from the University of Maryland with a degree in Art and Art History and studied abroad in Amsterdam and Greece. Constantly traveling, she has competed in nearly one hundred national and international plein air competitions and festivals over the last seven years. Commissioned work is permanently on display at the National Harbor in DC. She shows in several galleries, and is featured in Plein Air Magazine’s Dec – Jan 2020 issue and many other publications.
Alison Leigh Menke is an expressive impressionist. She loves painting directly from life and in particular creating works en Plein Air. Her approach gives importance to suggesting a true sense of light and space while showcasing the rich qualities of oil paint, palette knife, and brushwork. Painting thick and thinking abstracted shapes, she uses composition, texture, and vibrant color to move a viewer around her paintings. She has been exploring ‘intentional mark-making’. It is a balance between a loose and controlled sense of applying paint. Her petite paintings are her greatest muse as she is working to scale up her marks in size.
Alison’s latest works are on brushed anodized aluminum. It’s a ridged surface sandwiched with a polyethylene core. This inorganic material is strong and enduring, and paint flows with ease as it’s a joy to work on.
Just married, Alison currently resides on the island of Puerto Rico. It’s an exciting new adventure and a place of colorful inspiration! She hopes to create artist retreats in Humacao, PR, and share this paradise with artists and art lovers.
Organizations
Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association (MAPAPA) – Paint Out Support Board Member (2014 – present)
American Impressionist Society (AIS) – Associate Member (2017 – present)
Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) – Artist Member (2015 – present)
Washington Project of the Arts (2011 – 2015)
Junior Member of the Arts Club of Washington (2014- 2015)
Awards
2nd Place Artists Choice Award Telluride Plein Air Festival” 2021 and top seller
2020 - Lighthouse Plein Air Festival - Best Overall Boat and 2nd Place Paint Out
2020 - Olmsted Plein Air Invitational - 1st Place PaintQuick™
