Osral Allred was born in Springville, Utah in 1936. A watercolorist known for his depictions of trains and tractors, he believes that mood is the essence that should be addressed in painting. Although Allred has worked in clay, his preferred artistic medium is watercolor. He lives in Spring City, Utah. 

Allred earned an associate of science degree from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. He studied at Utah State College where received his BFA in 1963 and his MFA in 1967. While at Utah State, he studied with Everett Clark Thorpe who introduced him to the work of Hans Hoffman, Franz Kune, and Robert Motherwell. Allred credits Thorpe as a fundamental influence in his work. In 1966 Allred began teaching at Snow College where he taught courses in watercolor, drawing, jewelry, and design. 

Allred has exhibited his work at the National Academy of Design in New York and at Watercolor USA in Springfield, Missouri where he won the Deborah Weisel Purchase Award for his watercolor Tender (1968), a painting depicting a railroad car.  Front Hookup (1984) is another notable watercolor also depicting a train. His works have also been displayed at the Salt Lake Art Center and at the Cache County Art League. 

Biographical information on this page was adapted from Artists of Utah.

Osral B. Allred, of Ephraim and Spring City, Utah is a painter and educator who studied at Snow College (A.S.) and Utah State University (B.F.A., 1963; M.F.A., 1967). He taught at Bonneville High School during the winter of 1965, became an instructor of mathematics and engineering drawing at Snow College in 1966, and soon narrowed his duties there to art instructor only. Later, Allred served as professor and codirector of the Snow College art program. As a watercolorist, he is a performer in terms of total control of his medium as a powerful designer and draftsman. His work appears in numerous public and private collections. 

Biography courtesy of the Springville Museum of Art

Newspaper Articles

"Art Notes: Mixed-media Show Opens at Kimball." The Salt Lake Tribune, July 7, 1991. 
"Best Bets For The Week Ahead." The Salt Lake Tribune, September 13, 1992. 
"Best Bets For The Weekend Ahead." The Salt Lake Tribune, July 19, 1992. 
"Galleries." The Deseret News, January 31, 1999. 
"Galleries." The Deseret News, November 22, 1998. 
"Galleries." The Deseret News, May 17, 1998. 
"Portrait of an Artist's Haven." The Deseret News, May 8, 2003. 
"Showing at Local Galleries." The Deseret News, January 24, 1999. 
"Showing at Local Galleries." The Deseret News, January 30, 2000. 
"Showing at Local Galleries." The Deseret News, January 7, 2001. 
"Showing at Local Galleries." The Deseret News, March 4, 2001. 
"Showing at Local Galleries." The Deseret News, October 20, 2002. 
"Spring City hosting an Art Sale May 24." The Deseret News, May 8, 2003. 
"Still Vibrant After All These Years." The Deseret News, June 10, 2001. 
"Utah Marquee: Visual Art." The Salt Lake Tribune, May 18, 2001. 
"Watercolors are Worth a 2nd Look." The Deseret News, July 9, l989. 
"What's Showing at Local Art Galleries." The Deseret News, January 10, 1999.

Books

Olpin, Robert S., William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson. Artists of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1999. 
Swanson, Vern G., Robert S. Olpin, and William C. Seifrit. Utah Paintings and Sculpture. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith Publishers, 1991.