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Birth

‘I am Alleyne’ was borne out of necessity, and a journey of self discovery. Since my professional debut as a professional artist in 1996, I have always signed my work by my last name, Alleyne. I love it for its history, and well it’s mine. My first website for many years was Alleyne Studios. Not to get into the very sad and arduous story (lol), sadly it was harvested, and I refused to buy into the capitalistic bs and BUY MY OWN NAME BACK. So- I thought long and hard of a name to use to rebrand. I tried many a thing, but ultimately, I said, “I need to have Alleyne in it, because, I AM ALLEYNE”. And there you have it. The lightbulb went off, and my rebrand was birthed. I am many things. I hope to share the myriad of me with you over time. ♥️

My Story

I’ve always held a keen interest in art- “since the womb” if you ask my mom (I think I was constantly on the move in her belly). Painting and drawing were avid pastimes of my youth. I was a very shy child and so I spent many an hour by myself with whatever I could use to create. (They didn’t call us introverts back then). My lone adventures soon turned into a passion that led me to Art and Design HS, and the School of Visual Arts for my BFA.

My mom was a big supporter of my work, and while it wasn’t a popular thing to put your (Black) child through college to major in Art in the 80’s, she quieted the naysayers and let me find my way. She ALSO encouraged me to take some classes that would provide ‘stability’ so I decided to major in Graphics and Advertisement. I just knew I was going to be a big advertising mogul. I actually laughed at the Fine Arts Majors. Little did I know in a few years I would travel down that very path… Meanwhile I used my talents and my entrepreneurial spirit to work my way through school- I painted sneakers, tees, anything that I could sell to help pay tuition. (Hold on to that info, it shapes my future 😉)

I graduated, and worked at Macys in their advertising department. Third shift with an eclectic group of artists, and we produced the weekly catalogues. The best part was the flexibility that everyone took advantage of, we were a group of nomad adventurers. I traveled frequently to the island of St. Maarten, fell in love (with the island and a man), and promptly moved. (Everyone does that, right? Right?!) 

Although I was well trained in Advertising, I realized quickly that it wasn’t for me, it just felt too rigid and I longed for freedom. I instead hand painted clothing and sold them to local stores. It was on  St. Maarten, with its rich vibrant culture filled with color and texture that imbued my art and influenced the direction for me to become a Fine Artist. I soon turned from clothing to canvas, and fell in love with creating an abstract world around me.

After five years I returned home and was unsure of what to do. Mom to the rescue! She woke me up with a slip of paper that had an address, and I became a teacher. Just like that. NYC Dept of Education. Sixteen years, a Masters in Art Education, and much experience with a variety of populations. While I loved teaching, I didn’t love the INSTITUTION. So I quit. People thought I was crazy, but it felt right. At that exact moment, my beloved mom fell ill, so I spent my time back and forth to the hospital visiting her. Amazingly, I started to sell twice as much art, and the notion that I could ACTUALLY make a living as a fine artist became a reality.

Since then, I stepped into the world of Fine Art full time, while maintaining my love for teaching doing arts residencies with children and adults alike. I spend my time balancing art shows, exhibitions and teaching. And being a mom. A friend. A sister, and a priest.  Each one makes me the I AM, to make the whole. It’s a heck of a ride. Join me.