Biography

Sandra Allen draws large scale portraits of trees, with her primary medium being graphite on paper. Her process begins with photos she takes of trees that catch her attention, and then draws from those photographs, editing away extraneous detail and focusing on the patterns and variabilities she sees. She sees trees as the external wiring, circuitry, and plumbing of the earth, and compares the limbs extending from a tree trunk to the nervous system in the human body – and her work glorifies and sanctifies her subjects by rendering them in exquisite detail. Many of her portraits are larger than life, compelling us to consider the implications of a hand-crafted image that rivals the presence of that which it represents.

Based in Hingham, MA, Allen is inspired by the World’s End nature preserve in her town. She received her BFA from the University of Massachusetts School of Art and her MFA from the Yale University School of Art. She is a recipient of the Allen of Pollock Krasner grant. Her work is in numerous museums and private collections.