Allison Hale - Illustrator

     My name is Allison Hale. I am 20 years old and I currently live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am in my junior year of college at The Art Academy of Cincinnati where I am an illustration major. After graduating, I plan to be a children's book illustrator.

     As far as my art, there are three things that you will find as an ongoing theme in a majority of my pieces. These three things are butterflies, cheerleading, and hair bows.

     First off, I believe that butterflies are a form of guardian angels. I have had numerous family members pass away during my lifetime, and since they have died, I find butterflies always following me around. I aim to capture the movement and motion of butterflies in my art. I also incorporate my loved ones into the butterflies and their movement as well through photographs, collage, symbols, and more.

     I also use cheerleading as inspiration for my art. I use my experiences I have had cheering in high school to be the inspiration of some of my art. I consider cheerleading an art form with the different movements, formations, transitions, and stunts. I try to incorporate the art of it and also what it means to me into my work. To me, it's an art, a passion, and a lifestyle.

     Lastly, you will find some of my work having a subject matter of hair bows. The reasoning behind this is because for many years now, I’ve had an obsession with bows, the way they look, and the symmetry of them. I do not know where this obsession came from, but I am trying to find it through art. I also want to make people not being focused on the bow being used as a decoration or a topper of a gift, but to have the focus be aimed at the bow itself, which is what a bow is in my eyes.

    In conclusion, my father told me that when I grow up, to do what I love and am passionate about, and make a living from it. He told me that no matter what it is, or how much work it takes, to go for it, and not be in a job that just pays the bills. So that’s exactly what I did. Some may say it's an obsession, but to me, it's just a part of who I am. It's what I devote my life to. It's my art. It's my life.