Artist Mentoring

I offer one-to-one mentoring for artists working in painting and expanded painting practices, as well as academic mentoring for artists undertaking postgraduate and doctoral research.
Mentoring is practice-led, critical and practical, shaped around the specific needs of each artist or researcher. Sessions focus on clarifying work in development, articulating research and positioning practice within professional and institutional contexts.
My approach is informed by my experience as a practising artist, researcher and mentor, working across studio practice, writing and higher education.

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Areas of support
Mentoring may include:

  • Critical discussion of work in progress

  • Clarifying themes, methods and research questions

  • Positioning work within contemporary practice or academic discourse

  • Support with artist statements, proposals, CVs and portfolios

  • Review of websites and online materials in relation to professional and institutional contexts

  • Guidance on funding applications, residencies and exhibitions

  • Academic writing support (statements, proposals, reflective writing)

Mentoring is tailored to the artist's or researcher's priorities at each stage.

Academic mentoring
Academic mentoring is available for:

  • MA and MFA students

  • Practice-based PhD candidates

  • Artists developing research proposals or upgrading to doctoral study

Support may focus on research framing, methodology, writing, and the relationship between practice and theory.

Structure & fees
Mentoring is offered in blocks:

  • 4 sessions — £320

  • 6 sessions — £480

Sessions are online, last 60 minutes and are typically scheduled every 2–3 weeks.
Longer-term or bespoke arrangements can be discussed, including mentoring structured to meet funding or institutional requirements.

Enquiries
I offer a free 20-minute introductory conversation to discuss suitability and focus.

​To inquire, please get in touch with a brief outline of your practice or research and what you hope to work on.

A woman with curly blonde hair wearing a yellow jacket and silver shoes standing in an art studio with paintings, canvases, and art supplies around her.

Testimonials

  • I signed up for Allyson Keehan’s mentorship scheme through early 2026. The mentorship consisted of 4x one-hour sessions on Google Meet. I found the sessions useful as Allyson was responsive and present to the ideas I was working through in my art practice. Her background encompassing studio practice, architecture and carpentry enabled her to engage with different facets of my work in a natural way. I appreciated her time in responding to drafts of texts and images in between sessions, allowing us to use the meetings in an intentional way. Overall, I would happily recommend her mentorship services to someone considering them. The simple fact of her presence was a useful foil to the creative thinking process and the pacing of the sessions (every 2-3 weeks) provided a good structure to naturally work through my ideas and recalibrate as the project developed.

    Paul Gallagher 2026