Alan Reed
Artist Alan Reed, was born in Northumberland, into a family with a history of painting, and fell in love with watercolours at the age of 15. He trained in art and design at Newcastle College and spent the early part of his career doing artist impressions of new building projects for architects. Over the last 35 years he has developed his own distinctive painting style that is instantly recognisable. His landscapes and cityscapes and his unique, fluid style captures the atmosphere of different settings from the drama of city life to the serenity and beauty of a rural landscape. "Although I have specialised in watercolour for the last 30 years, I also work in oil paints, charcoal, pencil, gold leaf and acrylic. I have been running my own art gallery since 1996 and exhibited throughout the UK and overseas in the USA, Italy, Oman and Kuwait. My subjects are varied including landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, architecture and portraits. Recent commissions include the Lakes Distillery and ancient Roman architecture. I produce paintings which are representational but not photographic. I'm concerned about capturing light and the fleeting moment in time, for which watercolour is ideally suited. In particular I like to paint pre 20th century architecture. Working on location all over the world, in particular Italy and the Middle East, has brought a creative sense of fluency to my painting" Alan has had many successful exhibitions both in the UK and abroad since 1981. The quality of Alan's work received national recognition with the selection of a number of his cityscapes in the Sunday Times watercolour competition for three successive years. His painting “Mont Blanc and Manganese Blue” was selected for exhibition at the Bankside Gallery, London for the Royal Watercolour Society Competition in February 2016. “Last Light, Ruwi, Oman” was shortlisted for “Artist & Illustrators” Artist of the Year in 2014. Alan’s watercolour of “Jebel Akdar, Oman” won "The Artist's Prize" in the Royal Watercolour Society Exhibition 2013 at the Bankside Gallery, London. He also runs exclusive luxury painting holidays in Italy with his wife Susan. www.reedartholidays.com
Over the last few years I’ve received a number of commissions from clients who have a home in Italy and who have wanted a painting of their property. Each building has been quite different in terms of size and location but they have all had their own distinct charm and appeal. In 2007 I was commissioned by an English couple to do a painting of their home near a small, compact Umbrian village called Panicale, which overlooks Lake Trasimeno. We stayed in an old Villa called Villa Le Mura which was being restored by its owners. In the evening we met up with our clients that evening for a lovely meal at Masolino Albergo Ristorante which served us authentic Umbrian cuisine. The following morning I woke up before 7am and drove straight to the property to catch the early morning light. I was just in time. I found a suitable vantage point in between some olive trees which gave a delightful aspect of the house nestling in its own little valley. Initially it was shrouded by a shadow being cast by the hill behind me but as soon as the sun rose above the horizon it was bathed in a warm golden hue. I quickly embarked on a small sketchbook study in a tiny leather bound book purchased direct from the Fabriano Factory in Le Marches from a previous trip and whilst the paint was drying I took a number of photographs of the rapidly changing early morning light. The owners served me a very welcome and much appreciated coffee before I crashed on with another watercolour study, this time of the olive grove which surrounded their home. I returned to capture the evening light but we decided that the mornings work was going to be sufficient to enable me to do the finished painting, a 21″ x 14″ watercolour which the client was delighted with. Susan and I will be return to Italy often taking guests on painting holidays and for painting projects and will be happy to meet up with anyone wishing to discuss any possible commissions of properties, holiday homes or favourite views, places to paint in Italy.
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