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Alan Brain

I discovered painting over twenty years ago when I attended a watercolour class with some friends, it led to a change of direction that I have never regretted. Now, painting is my passion, it is what I do and who I am. I am on a journey of self-discovery. My inspiration comes from within and my work is driven by my life’s experiences. Such as... Flying. As a pilot the unlimited emptiness of the sky with its ever changing moods has always fascinated me. I look down and wonder at man’s insignificance in his landscape and gaze at places he has changed and not yet touched. I love the sense of vast open space and the feeling of solitude and quiet calmness. I express this feeling in wide abstract landscapes or by enclosing space within unexpected large structures. I think the inspiration is obviously from hangers and airfields! Escaping from stress. I ran a demanding business for some years and learnt to value the time I could spend alone. Now it is wonderful for me to recall and paint those moments. This love of solitude has been a theme for much of my work. It appears in abstract forms prompted by open space such as the desert, and in quiet corners found in offices, airports and anywhere that is busy. Relationships. Body language and the relationships between people fascinate me. I paint the feelings people create either alone or in a small group, in semi-abstract form leaving the viewer to make their own interpretation and connection. War. I was excited by war until I visited Flanders when I was in my thirties. The rows upon rows of gravestones marked as “A Soldier of The Great War” changed my view forever. Now I paint how I feel about war, very respectfully. My journey of self-discovery explores my deepest passions and I paint them using anything to get the feeling I want. The emotions that colour creates intrigue me, the power of shapes amazes me. I treat every painting as an experiment. When it works it’s wonderful, when it doesn’t – on to the next one. When I am not painting I am likely to be walking my dog where I am probably thinking about painting. Or I may be trying to play golf with my friends and looking forward to a beer with lunch after the game.