Holy Island In a previous blog post I wrote about a quick trip to Holy Island so that I could get new reference for a painting project. Crossing at Low Tide on the causeway gives you an immense feeling of space and the vastness of the landscape. I was aware that the time was against … Read more
Northumbrian Coast I’ve been working on a large painting project to refurbish a clients property on the Northumbrian Coast. The theme is entered on some of the castles and the small boats that grace Northumberland’s picturesque harbours. Although I do have quite a collection of prints of Northumberland, I felt it would enrich the range … Read more
A dream Last year I had a dream where I was underwater. There were all kinds of fish swimming around. I seemed to be aware that there were two people walking on the surface of the water. When I woke up, I decided to paint the scene for a painting project whilst the image was … Read more
Paintings of Northumberland I’ve been asked to supply a number of my limited edition prints of Northumberland for a property at Alnmouth. These are the types of project which I really enjoy, using my work to help create a space of rest and atmosphere. Alnmouth is a small town situated on the Northumbrian coast. After … Read more
April marks the 20th Anniversary of alanreed.com It’s hard for me to believe that my domain name dates back to the 20th Century! I knew very little about the world wide web in those days but it only took a few weeks for me to realise the value of having a website to promote my … Read more
New print Theatre Royal in Winter. In 2008 I released one of my most successful limited edition prints titled “Theatre Royal in the Snow”. The appeal lay partly in the monochromatic colours that were punctuated by the little girl wearing the red coat. She is one of my granddaughters, braving the elements, holding her grandmother’s … Read more
One of the first commissions I received when I went self employed back in 1984 was to do two original watercolours of the River Tyne near the North Shields Fish Quay.
In 2013 I entered the Bristol Prize. The organisers of this new painting competition had also run the Bath Prize for several years where I was runner up in 2010 with my painting of the Royal Crescent. I also won the Circus Prize in 2011 with my watercolour of The Circus. I was keen to … Read more
I’m always been attracted to fine, beautifully designed buildings. Painting them means that you end up looking much more intensely to their architectural features and appreciating them all the more. I first painted the Royal Albert Hall, London in 2005 and sold the original watercolour to a famous opera singer. I recently decided to paint … Read more
Visiting Florence Susan and I first visited San Gimignano in February 1999. We were staying in Florence for several days and having seen San Gimignano featured on a holiday programme, we decided to go there for the day. A local bus took us to nearby Poggibonsi then after a short wait, another bus to our destination, the … Read more