Allen C. Hilgendorf was born and raised
in rural Ontario on a mixed farm, an ideal setting for a
young boy. Memories of chore time, boiling maple syrup
and taking off the harvest are still fresh in his mind.
Here he developed a deep appreciation for the natural
world around him which became evident in numerous
childhood drawings. Occasionally, a non-domestic animal
would mysteriously show up at the house in the form of a
pigeon, crow, cottontail, raccoon or even a wounded
screech owl. Animals were often the images the young
artist chose to draw.
In later years, the urge to travel allowed Allen to see
many parts of Canada first hand, and eventually led him
to the west in the 1970's, where he worked as a ranch
hand. It was here, in the splendour of the Alberta
foothills, that he became personally acquainted with the
Creator, which made the beauty around him all the more
awesome. With his wide range of interests and a wealth of
experience, Allen began to exercise a natural ability in
sketching and painting. Some of his work showed promise
and started to sell.
In 1991, Allen was forced to retrain, due to injuries
sustained in an automobile accident. He readily chose to
attend the School of Design & Visual Arts at the Owen
Sound campus of Georgian College where he honed his
artistic skills, making the Dean's List in all four
semesters. He also became the recipient of several
awards.
Since then, Allen has excelled as a landscape painter,
specializing in giant interior and exterior murals which
now adorn the walls of many towns and communities.
Thank you for allowing me to share these
joys with you through my paintings and
murals.
