Therese McAllister is an Irish artist who studied at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin from 1972-74. After NCAD, Therese worked as a fashion illustrator and display artist in Dublin before deciding to move to Italy in the mid 1970's.

On her arrival in Florence, she met Pietro Annigoni (renowned for his portraits of the British Royal Family) who encouraged her to enrol at the Studio Simi. Here, under the tutelage of Nerina Simi, she studied the techniques of drawing and painting in the classical tradition. The Simi system concentrated on precise drawing and observation and the accurate rendering of forms and space.

Nerina Simi, a highly gifted and talented artist, came from a long line of talented painters and she dedicated herself to teaching (her father, Filadelfo Simi, studied with Jean-Léon Gérôme in Paris in the late 1800's.) Aloysius C. O'Kelly a well known Irish artist also enrolled at Gérôme's atelier in 1874. Gérôme in his turn studied with Paul Delaroche and Charles Gleyre 1806-74. Pupils came from all over the world to study with Simi and many well known contemporary artists passed through her studio. Among these were the eminent Irish-Italian painter, the late Don Niccolo D'Ardia Caraccio RHA and the equestrian artist Peter Curling.

Therese also made frequent visits to Pietro Annigoni's studio where he advised and encouraged her on her work. Therese's current studio is located in Dublin where she lives and works at present. Working mainly in oils, her darkly-glowing still-lifes are rich and vibrant in colour with a meticulous attention to detail. Life drawing was also an important part of the curriculum and, as a result, McAllister is now an accomplished draughtswoman and a talented portraitist.

The Colomb Art Gallery, London currently holds a number of original works by the artist Therese McAllister. Contact the gallery for details.