Biography
Alan Hunt began painting at the age of eight, when his mother gave him a box of paints to occupy him as he recuperated from an illness. He started off painting birds, which had fascinated him from an early age, but soon moved on to capture on canvas the natural world around him. First studying art at Middlesbrough Art College, Alan then decided to study zoology at Leeds College and Bristol University. His first solo exhibition was held in his home town of Redcar at the age of 18 and, since then, his work has been shown in museums, galleries, public and private collections world-wide. Alan has received international acclaim, winning The Society of Animal Artists’ USA Award of Excellence on four occasions and The Wildlife Art Society’s UK Best Artist On Show for three consecutive years. He has been the lead artist at five exhibitions in the US, and in 1998 was the first non-American to be voted on to the American Wildlife Art Hall Of Fame. In 1999, he was chosen as Artist of the Year for the Florida Wildlife Art Expo. His work continues to attract huge interest at major auctions including Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Christie’s. Alan continues to teach field painting and lead study trips across the globe. Speaking about his work, Alan commented, “As a wildlife artist and conservationist, I have grave concerns for the environment and believe it needs as much support as I can possibly give, whether financially or as a spokesman. “I share these convictions with many like-minded people around the world – but over the years, I have come to realise that the ‘major powers’ of this world are determined to destroy all life either directly or indirectly! Selling armaments indiscriminately, and hence fuelling wars, may reduce or control a small proportion of the world’s population, but wars are disastrous for the environment. “Wars hit third-world countries hardest, making them poorer and this in turn increases the misuse of the environment, as its easier and cheaper to cut and burn forests and kill all wildlife than to manage the land well for future generations. We need farming expertise and equipment not weaponry! We must protect this planet, its wildlife and the environment that we are now an integral part of”.