Alan Burgess, painter

Alan gained his painting qualification at Colchester School of Art where he won the landscape painting prize. He exhibited at the Young Contemporaries in London and in the selection of that exhibition when it toured. After an art teaching course in Manchester and two years National Service, mainly spent in Malaya, he continued to paint, balancing this with teaching painting, drawing and history of art at further education level.

He moved to his present house in the village of Roydon in Essex in 1968 and, after painting in various genres, he focused again on landscape, finding that this provided ample opportunities to explore composition, paint qualities and colour. At this time all his paintings were done on the spot, taking his easel out into the countryside.

He has exhibited throughout his career with many solo shows, and his Fifty Great British Trees have been shown in six venues including the National Arboretum at Westonbirt.

Alan Burgess’s connection with trees is not purely as subject matter for his painting. Within his parish he has recorded and cared for existing trees and organised the planting of many more. He has identified a significant number of rare black poplars, one of which was chosen by the Tree Council as a Great British Tree. Increasingly his interest in veteran trees has led to a series of paintings which are virtually portraits of trees.