Dissington Hall A special thank you to all our customers who have purchased original paintings, prints, Christmas cards and have used our picture framing service over the last 16 years from our Studio & Gallery on Cheviot View in Ponteland. We celebrated last Saturday by offering 25% discount off all framed paintings that were on the walls. Lots of you turned up to take advantage of the offer. Susan and I really appreciate your support. We’ve decided to keep the offer going until Saturday 22nd June whilst we’re preparing to move house. We will be open every day this week apart from Wednesd ..read more

Walking on Water We’re moving house at the end of June. After over 30 very happy years living at 17 Cheviot View in Ponteland, we’re moving house. Over the years we’ve operated our business from several different locations including Eldon Garden Shopping Centre in Newcastle 1996 – 2002.  Some of you will also remember the small Studio & Gallery we had in Ponteland village 2003 – 2008. In 2008 we extended our home to accommodate a larger studio space and gallery which has worked very well for us. However Susan and I are at the age and stage where we would like a change. It’s been so lo ..read more

The Glen, East Links by Ken ReedProgressive Supranuclear Palsy As spring approaches, I’m feeling apprehensive about the year ahead. My father Ken Reed’s health has been deteriorating through a cruel but rare neurological condition called Progressive supranuclear palsy. We first noticed its effects almost 10 years ago when my father’s speech became slightly slow and more deliberate. He used to love singing and had a wonderful voice as a tenor. He was in a local choir but had to give it up. Since COVID my dad has completely lost the ability to speak. Just over a couple of years ago we were ..read more

Kidney TransplantEldon Gardens As the 20th Century was drawing to a close a friend of mine said we should be selling online art. At the time I knew very little about the internet or the world wide web as we used to call it back then. We were doing very well selling our paintings from a gallery we had in Eldon Gardens Shopping Centre in Newcastle. However, I wanted no time in buying my domain name alanreed.com. A young IT chap was building a website for a business partner, so I asked him to build one for me. My memories of that first site are vague, there were only 12 paintings on view. The des ..read more

Roseberry Topping, WatercolourJunction 42 Over the last few years I have been developing creative art projects for  many of the UK prisons. This has been for the North East Charity Junction 42. I’ve been working for the charity part time for the last six years as an outreach worker in the community with ex-offenders. However I’ve also been delivering art projects in some of the regions prisons. One of the images that prisoners have been painting in their “Landscapes in Watercolour” projects is Roseberry Topping. I take the prisoners through a step by step process of how to paint the scene ..read more

Sandhill, Morning MistWatercolour Demonstration As the year draws to a close I know that I will be taking my usual time out to review the year. Like most of us, it’s a combination of being grateful, and thinking of those less fortunate. Spending time working in one of the north east’s prisons does give you a greater sense of appreciation for the freedom that most of us take for granted. Here’s my Review of 2023. Early on in 2023 I was invited to do one of several watercolour demonstrations for local art groups. In February I showed the group how I would start a cityscape by laying the initial ..read more

There’s a certain magic in Italy’s landscapes, architecture, and rich cultural heritage that has mesmerised travellers and artists for centuries. In the realm of capturing this beauty, Alan Reed’s beautiful prints of two Italian gems, ‘San Gimignano’ and ‘Siena,’ has emerged as a true reflection of Italy’s allure. Alan’s Artistry: A Glimpse of Italy’s Splendour Alan Reed, an artist with an innate knack for capturing the essence of iconic destinations has brought the charm and character of San Gimignano and Siena to life through his prints. San Gimignano, with its medieval towers piercing the ..read more

In the realm of natural landmarks, some trees etch themselves into our collective memory with their beauty and significance. One such tree was the Sycamore Gap, a striking symbol of resilience nestled along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. Unfortunately, in September 2023, this iconic tree was cut down, but its memory lives on through a beautiful watercolour painting and limited edition prints, which serve as a heartfelt tribute to this beloved tree. The Sycamore Gap: A Symbol of History and Beauty The Sycamore Gap tree, an iconic Sycamore that stood in a dramatic dip in Hadrian’s Wall, captu ..read more

Earlier this year I received a commission to paint a client’s holiday home on the island of Mallorca. We went out for a week to enable me do some sketchbook watercolours, not just of his property but also of the town of Pollenca. You can read about the sketches in this blog post. The client was delighted with the watercolour painting of his holiday home. He was also impressed with the sketchbook watercolours I did of the Calvari Steps. He also commissioned two further watercolour paintings of these famous steps which lead up to Calvary Chapel that has commanding views of the area. These hav ..read more

Pollenca – Sunlight I’ve recently been commissioned to paint a client’s holiday home in Mallorca, a very attractive Mediterranean island. To be able to paint the property with greater insight, we felt it would be best to stay for several days to enable me to do some sketchbook watercolours, not just of the property, but also the small town of Pollenca. We’d never been to Mallorca before, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect. However as soon as we arrived we were very impressed. The people were very friendly and helpful and the places we visited were very clean and attractive. There was some ..read more