Craig Alan Dress

Craig Alan was born in 1971 in San Bernardino, California. Upon moving to New Orleans as a child, Alan worked as a street portrait artist, using the opportunity to practice his figure drawing, as well as earn money for school and supplies.

The creative vision came naturally to Alan and he continued to develop technically and conceptually through his own diligent studies. It was not until his sophomore year at the University of Mobile, Alabama, that Alan formally began to train in arts. His affinity for the subject was immediately apparent. He continued to concentrate in studio arts, earning an area award for academic excellence. The university’s most prestigious exhibition, “Art with a Southern Drawl,” featured 42 of Alan’s pieces, chosen from a field of more than 1,600 submissions.

A minor concentration in theater provided Alan with additional techniques in makeup and set design. This added expertise supported his exploration of mixed media constructions. His skills combine to form elaborate textures, hues and compositions in his pieces. Alan’s artwork reveals a technical sophistication as well as an elaborate imagination.

Constantly craving new ways to link contemporary expressions to traditional art, Alan hopes to travel to Europe in search of artistic artifacts as well as fresh and innovative ideas. He also intends to explore his own family roots and cultural nuances in England and Scotland. Eventually, Alan plans to earn his master’s degree in studio arts in order to teach at the college level. His biggest dream is to own and manage his own atelier. He continues to exhibit his artwork across the United States.

Find original Craig Alan art including prints, paintings and other work on 1stDibs.

Painting is an art form that has spanned innumerable cultures, with artists using the medium to tell stories, explore and communicate ideas and express themselves. To bring abstract paintings, landscape paintings, still-life paintings and other original paintings into your home is to celebrate and share in the long tradition of this discipline.

When we look at paintings, particularly those that originated in the past, we learn about history, other cultures and countries of the world. Like every other work of art, paintings — whether they are contemporary creations or works that were made during the 19th century — can often help us clearly see and understand the world around us in a meaningful and interesting way.

Cave walls were the canvases for what were arguably the world’s first landscape paintings, which depict natural scenery through art. Portrait paintings and drawings, which, along with sculpture, were how someone’s appearance was recorded prior to the advent of photography, are at least as old as Ancient Egypt. In the Netherlands, landscapes were a major theme for painters as early as the 1500s. Later, artists in Greece, Rome and elsewhere created vast wall paintings to decorate stately homes, churches and tombs.

Today, creating a wall of art is a wonderful way to enhance your space, showcase beautiful pieces and tie an interior design together.

No matter your preference, whether you favor Post-Impressionist paintings, animal paintings, Surrealism, Pop art or another movement or specific period, arranging art on a blank wall allows you to evoke emotions in a room while also showing off your tastes and interests. A symmetrical wall arrangement may comprise a grid of four to six pieces or, for an odd number of works, a horizontal row. Asymmetrical arrangements, which may be small clusters of art or large, salon-style gallery walls, have a more collected and eclectic feel.

Download the 1stDibs app, which includes a handy “View on Wall” feature that allows you to see how a particular artwork will look on a particular wall, and read about how to arrange wall art. And if you’re searching for the perfect palette for your interior design project, what better place to turn than to the art world’s masters of color? 

On 1stDibs, you’ll find an expansive collection of paintings and other fine art for your home or office. Browse abstract paintings, portrait paintings, paintings by emerging artists and more today.