Workhouse Arts Center artist Allen Levy quit his corporate job four years ago and guess what: He turned out fine. Levy - a self taught abstract painter - now spends much of his time leaning over a canvas in his studio with a pallet-knife caked in acrylic paint.
So, how's business?
"I'm very pleasantly surprised by the reception I'm getting for residential, corporate clients, interior designers and architects," said Levy. "I just want my artwork to make you feel good, make you feel something through that range of color, composition and balance. There's no political commentary, no agenda."
Levy, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., has a marketing degree from Purdue University, and started painting in his Woodbridge garage eight years ago. He was in marketing at USA Today at the time.
"The commute was bad - an hour-and-a-half each way every day. I got started painting from stress relief," said Levy. "It was about three months and I put down the brush and picked up the pallet knife and I realized that it was my passion."
Levy exhibits his work at more than a dozen art shows across the region, including the 8-10 shows around the region, including the Alexandria King Street Art Festival and the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival. His main influence is abstract expressionist Mark Rothko.
Levy's pieces, which fetch up to $7,000, have up to ten layers and can take up to a month to create. He's currently working on more than 20 pieces at the same time.
"My pieces are nice to look at. They have a soothing feel," he said. "They're calming and overall pleasing to look at and people can interpret different things within the same painting.
And the secret to Levy's success? Getting his work out there.
"Most artists don't know how to go about marketing," said Levy. "The main thing is visibility. You have to get yourself into shows where people can see your work. You can't just stay in your studio and think people are going to come to you."
The work of Allen Levy can be found at Building 5 of the Workhouse Arts Center.
Check out Lorton Patch on Facebook and Twitter!
So, how's business?
"I'm very pleasantly surprised by the reception I'm getting for residential, corporate clients, interior designers and architects," said Levy. "I just want my artwork to make you feel good, make you feel something through that range of color, composition and balance. There's no political commentary, no agenda."
Levy, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., has a marketing degree from Purdue University, and started painting in his Woodbridge garage eight years ago. He was in marketing at USA Today at the time.
"The commute was bad - an hour-and-a-half each way every day. I got started painting from stress relief," said Levy. "It was about three months and I put down the brush and picked up the pallet knife and I realized that it was my passion."
Levy exhibits his work at more than a dozen art shows across the region, including the 8-10 shows around the region, including the Alexandria King Street Art Festival and the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival. His main influence is abstract expressionist Mark Rothko.
Levy's pieces, which fetch up to $7,000, have up to ten layers and can take up to a month to create. He's currently working on more than 20 pieces at the same time.
"My pieces are nice to look at. They have a soothing feel," he said. "They're calming and overall pleasing to look at and people can interpret different things within the same painting.
And the secret to Levy's success? Getting his work out there.
"Most artists don't know how to go about marketing," said Levy. "The main thing is visibility. You have to get yourself into shows where people can see your work. You can't just stay in your studio and think people are going to come to you."
The work of Allen Levy can be found at Building 5 of the Workhouse Arts Center.
Check out Lorton Patch on Facebook and Twitter!
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
