Biography

Ruary James Allan writes:

I was born on September 14, 1967 and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city. I attended historic St. Andrews University, in Scotland, from 1985 where I ended up with an informal major in fun and spiritual exploration as well as a degree in geology. Then I spent a year working on North Sea oil rigs. From 1991 my home was in the vibrant, diverse community of Oakland, California, until I moved west again, to the land of the rising sun. I have lived in Tokyo since March 2003 and I am loving it.

I drew a lot of crazy stuff as a child, but puberty and social pressures distracted me from my calling. I rediscovered art while doodling in class notebooks and a lot of my early work I class as "neodoodlism," letting the hand and mind flow.

In my art I approach metaphysical realities through myth and visual analogy. The imagery has been influenced by Celtic, eastern, ancient and modern traditions. Blending these traditions with my own personal vision, I want to produce art that speaks on many levels -- personal, social, satirical, ecological and spiritual. I try to make even the most difficult subject matter beautiful and enjoyable. I hope that my art may serve as a doorway, enabling people to deepen their appreciation of the world and themselves.

My paintings have been shown at various galleries, juried art fairs, festivals and events in northern California and Oregon. I have been published in Creation Spirituality Network magazine and Psychic Reader, CD covers, on flyers for Burning Man Festival and other hip places. I organized two successful shows for Oakland artists at former California governor Jerry Brown's We The People community center in Oakland. In general I like to keep stirring the pot where I can.