WILLIAM
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the 15th of August 1935. In 1941, at the age of six, he started painting in oils.
In 1944, at the age of nine years, received his first commission to paint a portrait. He made enough money painting portraits to buy two race horses by the time he was eleven. At the same time he apprenticed to Frank Vittor, a well known sculptor in Pittsburgh.
In 1946, was enrolled in a special course for painters at Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh.
He attended Trinity College in Oxford, England, and received a BFA from Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh.
In 1964, started to work in the Art Departments of major motion picture studios, (including Desilu, Walt Disney, MGM, Columbia, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros., Viacom, Lorimar, and many independent producers), as a Set Designer. Named Art Director and Production Designer in 1975, Mr. McAllister did enjoy thirty-six years of work in this challenging field. He now paints full-time.
Started serious works in watercolor in 1982. Painted his last abstract oil painting in 1985.
Mr. McAllister is in constant demand as a juror, lecturer, and conductor of very creative, style forming, workshops. December 2000 to December 2003: Artist In Residence - St. Catherine's Court - Bath, England
EXHIBITIONS (partial list)
Exhibits at the Dubins Gallery in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles in 1988 -'89 -'90 -'91 and '92.
21st VENICE ART WALK - Silent Art Auction - 2000. His painting, Hussong's In Neon, sold at that exhibition
Galleria Prova, Tokyo - 1998
Museum of Arts and Sciences - Macon, Georgia - 1993
Neville Public Museum - Green Bay, Wisconsin - 1993
D'Art Museum - Dallas, Texas - 1993
Novaspace - "Mapping the Jungle" - 1994
Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, California - 1994 -'95
American Watercolor Society - 1997
National Watercolor Society - 1998
Watercolor West - XXVI - 1994, XXVII - 1995, XXVIII - 1996, XXIX - 1997
Brand XVI - 1986, Brand XXI - 1991 (Mr. McAllister was the juror of selection and awards - Brand XXX - 2000)
Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors - 15th Annual - 1996, 19th Annual - 2000
Two Art of California Discovery Program Awards - 1993
Pittsburgh Watercolor Society - Aqueous Open '86
San Diego International - 1986
Louisiana Watercolor Society - 44th Annual International Exhibit
Texas Watercolor Society - 44th Annual International Exhibition
Georgia Watercolor Society - XIV National Exhibition
Northwest Watercolor Society - 56th Annual Exhibition - 1996
Quinlan Art Center - Gainsville, Georgia - 1993
Howard Mandeville Gallery - Kirkland, Washington - 1993
Cypress Gallery - Carmel, California - 1994 -'95 -'96
Sparrow Gallery, Solana Beach, CA - 1999-2000
Patchings 2001- Nottinghamshire. His painting, Taming The Catherine Wheel won the Pluss Award
Beaux Arts Gallery - Summer Show - Bath, England - 2001
The Singer & Friedlander/ Sunday Times Watercolour Competition 2001 - The Mall Gallery, London
Chome' Fine Art, Bath England - 2005
James Gallery, West End, Pittsburgh, PA - 2005-2006
PUBLICATIONS (partial list)
Featured in ESQUIRE MAGAZINE - November 1992 - in the "Man At His Best" column by Phil Patton
Work was published in "SPLASH 3, AMERICA'S BEST CONTEMPORARY WATERCOLORS" in September of 1994, "SPLASH 4" in 1996, "SPLASH 5" in 1998 and "SPLASH 7" IN April of 2002
A feature article, "PAINTING THE DARKNESS", was published in the American Artist Publication WATERCOLOR - PREMIER SUMMER 95 ISSUE
A painting of his was honored to be featured on the cover of the CARMEL GALLERY GUIDE, SPRING - 1995
Another of his paintings was printed on the cover of the Daler-Rowney's publication, THE ART PAPER, in England and a whole page of THE ART PAPER featured Mr. McAllister's work in the Summer 2002 issue
Two more paintings were included in Quarto Publications book, "WATERCOLOUR: 2 BOOKS IN 1" - Feb. 2000
An award winning piece was published in THE ARTIST, the September 2001 issue of this English magazine
THE ARTIST published an In Conversation With... interview with Mr. McAllister in March 2002 featuring five works
LEISURE PAINTER MAGAZINE, December 2002 published winning painting for "A Place In the Sun" competition
An article by Mr. McAllister in ARTIST & ILLUSTRATORS in March 2003 and previewed in the Feb '03 issue
AWARDS & HONORS (partial list)
The Home Savings of America First Place Award
The Ruth Rosenau Silver Medallion and The Pulsifer Award
Winner of the prestigious Second Award at watercolor West International Exhibit
Won the Louisiana Watercolor Society Award & Silver Medallion
Winner of the Past Presidents Award at the Northwest Watercolor International Exhibition
Winner of the prestigious Award of the Philadelphia Watercolor Club
Won the coveted Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Award
Selected for the National Watercolor Societies National Travel Exhibition 1999-2000
Selected for the Texas Watercolor Society Travel Exhibition
Selected for the 1993 Georgia Watercolor Society National Touring Exhibit
Winner of the Savoir Faire - Lana Paper Award at the Muckenthaler Art Center
The Carter Sexton Award
The Pluss Award at the Patchings Show - 2001, Nottingham
Second Place Award in LEISURE PAINTER's A Place in the Sun Postcard Competition - 2002
CORPORATE AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS (partial list)
| Ms. Jane Seymour * | Mr. Gerald Bahouth * | Mr. Ceasar Cavaricci |
| Ms. Tammy Grimes | Mr. & Mrs. Ron Hobbs | Gregg & Cynthia Homer |
| Mr. Blake Edwards | Mr. & Mrs. Ron Satlof * | Mr. & Mrs. James Hulsey |
| Mr. & Mrs. Steven Bochco | Richard & Jacqueline Panza | Ms. Leeanna Johnson |
| Northern Trust of Chicago * | Mr. & Mrs. Rick Jason | Ms. Susan Woollen |
| Mr. & Mrs. Brad Garrett * | Geiger & Weber Law Offices | Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Klingensmith |
| Price Waterhouse Accountants * | Ms. Pat Parker | Mr. & Mrs. Adrian Gorton * |
| Leonard & Mary Lazar | Mr. & Mrs. E.W. Swackhamer * | Coral Canyon Publishing * |
| II Moro Ristorante * | Ms. Carol Svendsen * | Mr. & Mrs. Michael Sedgwick |
| Ms. Lisa Dubins * | Mr. & Mrs. Shiu Keung Lee | Mr. Gino Di Felice |
| Mr. & Mrs. Howard Green * | Ms. Jan Svendsen * | Ms. Gretchen Friebertshauser * |
| Ms. Susan Bass * | John & Sally MacCabe | Capt. & Mrs. William Walworth |
| Ms. Lynn Bernay * | Ms. Sandra Marsh | Mr. & Mrs. M. Velarde * |
| Big 5 Sporting Goods | Mrs. Valerie Moon | Mr. & Mrs. Rick Marton |
| Hotel Hana-Maui Ranch * | Mr. & Mrs. Ron Neal | Mr. John McPherson |
| Jill & David Wolff * | Mr. Stewart Miller * | Mr. Sean Kennedy |
| Ms. Mary Beth Yarrow | Ms. Bridget Hanley * | Hotel San Cassiano - Venice |
| Mrs. William Blackwell | Mr. & Mrs. Ron Kennedy | Mr. Robert Rolsky |
| Mr. William J. Creber * | Mr. & Mrs. Charles Sortino * | Ms. Beverly Trupp |
| Mr. & Mrs. Mark Tinker | Mr. Robert Donnelly - Ms Kelly Kane | Mr. & Mrs. Cheung Chi Wing * |
| Mr. & Mrs. Gary Bernard | Mr. & Mrs. Jock Beckman | Mrs. John Frankenberg |
| Graham & Audrey Rose | Mrs. Richard Early | * Denotes ownership of multiple works |