Allen studied under Betty Churcher at Stuartholme Convent, Brisbane (1965-69) and later under Ray Churcher at Brisbane Central Technical College. She won the Archibald Prize in 1986 for her portrait of her father-in-law Dr John Shera, has written and illustrated two books (‘What Is a Portrait – Images of Vicki Myers’ and ‘The Autobiography of Vicki Myers – Close to the Bone’), and has created a 50 minute film, ‘Feeling Sexy’, on the struggles of an artist attempting to reconcile the conflicting demands of bohemia and suburbia. She frequently confronts the themes of family and sexuality.
Publications
| Year | Details |
|---|---|
| 1991 | “The Autobiography of Vicki Myers: Close to the Bone”. Simon and Schuster and New Endeavour Press. |
| 1991 | “What is a portrait? Images of Vicki Myers”. Neil Leveson Australian Print Workshop |
| 1994 | “Jimmie the Punk”. A short story in Anthology of Australian short stories published by Angus and Robertson |