If you ask John Allinson what he’s working on these days, you’re as likely to hear about a new novel or plans to innovate modern-day submarine design as you are to hear about his next painting. A man of ceaseless energy, Allinson is always searching for the next project, and when he approached three of the area’s premier dining establishments, Sandbar Restaurant in Anna Maria, Beachhouse Restaurant in Bradenton and Mar Vista Dockside on Longboat Key, offering his services, they jumped at the chance. Now each has an original Allinson interpretation of their venue hanging on their walls.

“They’re beautiful – his use of brushstrokes and the way he captures light is very different than the art we’ve seen and we thought it would be a great addition to our restaurants,” said Ashley Chiles, retail manager for Chiles Restaurant Group, which is considering using Allinson’s paintings as a jumping off point to creating a living gallery on the walls of Chiles restaurants. “There has been good reaction and we’re very excited to have him.”

Welsh by birth, Allinson now divides his time between the UK and a place on Anna Maria. A world-renowned artist, Allinson is known locally for his murals, which can be found on Pine Avenue and in Hurricane Hanks, Lobstahs and Soma Creekside, but his most famous piece is likely a commission from Lord Richard Attenborough, House of Dreams, a 240-foot-long mural commemorating the history of cinema.

Responding as to why he wanted this project, a set of three acrylic paintings depicting the three restaurants, Allinson’s answer is simple - money. And he’s only half-joking. Or maybe not at all. Allinson is a tradesman, it just so happens that his trade is beautiful art. Sometimes it’s done for art’s sake and sometimes it’s done to support his other many endeavors.

But that doesn’t mean Allinson isn’t passionate about the craft. His signature style, emphasizing light and color over form, is always present to dramatic and singular effect.

“It’s all about light. That’s all an artist should be concerned with – putting light onto canvas. So that’s what I do, I chase the light,” said Allinson. “You can either illustrate it, and illustrations look what they are, or you put some passionate drama into it and you do it through light.

Given his fixation on light, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Allinson has grown fond of our little corner of the Sunshine State, but Allinson says a big part of it is the vibrant cultural community that he’s grown to love.

“If I wasn’t living on Anna Maria Island, I would want to live in Sarasota,” said Allinson. “It’s full of culture. Whereas Key West is full of transient culture, here it’s more a permanent thing.”

Next up for Allinson – a painting of Bradenton’s city icon, Snooty the manatee.