A SELF-taught abstract artist from Highcliffe is preparing to showcase his latest work at an upcoming exhibition.
Alan Brain, who has been painting for more than 30 years, describes his artistic journey as one of “self-discovery” at times “exciting” and sometimes “disturbing”.
His abstract paintings, which he describes as “visible feelings”, focus on expressing emotion through colour, shape and mood rather than depicting objects.
Alan said: “I’m happy that my work stands out because it’s driven by an individual feelings or feelings of work. I paint feelings, not things, and people connect with them on an emotional level.
“I find them hopefully intriguing and very interesting to look at.”
Typically working on large-scale canvases, Alan’s pieces have been exhibited internationally, including with the American Watercolor Society, the Royal Watercolour Society and the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour.
His work is also exhibited at several galleries in Canada and the USA.
Alan said: “I’m a member of various art groups. I’ve exhibited with the American Watercolor Society, the Royal Watercolour Society, the Mal Gallery, I’ve done shows there, the Crip Gallery, and in Canada and Arizona too.”
Alan said among all his work, one of his most significant series explores the impact of war on individuals, a theme he believes is particularly relevant given current global conflicts.
He said: “One of the series of paintings that I did was of the impact of war on individuals. And it’s a very apt subject at the moment with all the trouble in the world. And this series of paintings, it’s about 15 of them.”
Alan, who also teaches art with local U3A groups, first discovered painting through watercolour classes before pursuing further studies in North America.
His passion for abstraction has since taken him across the world, but he said he remains firmly rooted in the UK art scene.
He said: “I use watercolour strongly like few others and every painting is unique and abstract. I am a different kind of contemporary UK artist.”
He will next be showcasing his work at St Mark’s Church in Highcliffe during Remembrance Week this November.