Harry Trumbore

Staff Writer

Rick Allen has known the highs of performing with a legendary rock band and the lows of a devastating physical injury.

Allen draws on the experiences of his life creating his artwork, which will be on display at the Wentworth Gallery at The Mall at Short Hills, 1200 Morris Turnpike. Allen will be on hand for a special visit Saturday, Dec. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Allen has played drums for the hard rock band Def Leppard since the late 1970s. In 1985, he was involved in an automobile crash and his left arm was amputated. Despite the injury, and with the support of the band, Allen continues to play using custom-designed drum sets, earning him legendary status in the rock pantheon.

Def Leppard is on hiatus for the winter, Allen told The Record this week.

“We’ll start up in April,” he said, “so it’s kind of nice to have time in New York with my family.”

Although known first for his music, Allen said the passion for art was always there.

“I started painting when I was young, before I started playing the drums,” Allen said. It was while watching his 6 year-old daughter paint that his own interest was revived.

“She was staying in the moment,” he said, “and it reminded me of where I go when I’m playing music. It’s just coming from the heart.”

At the gallery will be an eclectic range of work Allen has created, from paintings and prints to sculptures and jewelry.

A portion of the proceeds will go toward Project Resiliency’s Warrior Resiliency Program, which is sponsored by Allen’s charity foundation, The Raven Drum Foundation.

Allen said he was inspired to support programs and work with people, particularly armed services veterans, who have suffered devastating injuries.

“It started in 2006 when I went to visit veterans at Walter Reed Army Hospital,” Allen said. Coming to grips with how he handled his own injury, “I realized that I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) myself and they were speaking the same language as me.”

Allen came away from the visit with a sense of mission and “we haven’t looked back.”

He says his foundation and his work with veterans and others in recovery is done primarily near his family’s home in Malibu, Calif. Allen said that together, they explore alternate assisted therapies, such as the use of horses and riding, art, yoga and drumming. There are also retreats, Warrior Gatherings, where people can confront their issues privately with the support of others who share their experiences.

“All these things help where medical care can’t break through,” he said, then laughed. “There’s a rope course nearby, and they always make me go first!”

And on occasion, Allen brings veterans and their families to Def Leppard concerts where they can forget about their pain and just rock the night away.

For more about Allen, his art and The Raven Drum Foundation, visit RickAllen.com.