Annis Allen was a notable Texas artist known for her textured mixed media and abstract landscape artworks. Born in 1922 to a Methodist minister and a music teacher, she grew up in West Texas during the Great Depression. Despite the challenging times, she graduated from Texas Tech University, which was a significant achievement for women of her era.

Allen’s artistic journey began later in life. After raising her family in Corpus Christi, Texas, she pursued a career in art, becoming an avid student and creator. Her favored medium was collage, through which she combined colors, textures, forms, and found objects. This unique approach brought vibrant color and humor to her work, especially influenced by her time living in Puerto Rico and later in Pennsylvania.

Allen moved back to Texas in 1979, settling in Austin, where she continued to develop her art. She exhibited her work across multiple states and participated in annual art shows throughout the Southwest, earning several awards for her contributions. Even after moving to an assisted living facility in 2016, she continued to create art until her passing in 2018.