Alan Reed

Alan Reed was born in Corbridge, Northumberland in 1961 and spent his early childhood in this idyllic rural setting. He is now happily married and resides in Ponteland with his wife and two children.

He studied at the college of Arts and Technology in Newcastle where he gained a Higher Northen Diploma in Applied Design. While specialising in graphics and illustration, he developed his skills as a watercolourist. After leaving college he spent one year working as a graphic artist at the Hancock Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne. In July 1984 Alan Reed decided to freelance as an illustrator/painter and also began lecturing in graphic design at Consett Technical College. County Durham, on a part-time basis. From 1985 to 1988 he was able to refine his skills as a watercolourist, selling from galleries and fulfilling other commissions. The range of work varied from landscapes to paintings of the Tall Ships Race.

Alan Reed continued lecturing at Newcastle College and South Tyneside and was able to combine his teaching commitments with his watercolour painting and commercial illustrations, much of which was architectural. Since 1981 he has exhibited his work regularly throughout the North East and has been commissioned by many overseas clients.

In 1992 he worked on an exhibition of watercolour paintings of Newcastle upon Tyne that was featured on local television. One of the cityscapes was selected for inclusion in The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition for that year and a painting of Newcastle's High Level Bridge was chosen for the 1993 competition. Seven paintings of Newcastle were published in the Spring of 1993.

In 1993 he widened his horizons by winning a commission to create a series of architectural paintings of the cities and towns of Great Britain. To date thirteen paintings of Edinburgh, two of Glasgow, one of Aberdeen and one of Newcastle upon Tyne have been reproduced in limited edition form and have enjoyed instant success.

Exhibitions of his architectural paintings of Scotland were exhibited at the Malcolm Innes Gallery of Fine Art in Edinburgh. The Gallery owners were delighted with the success of the exhibition.