It is with great sadness that I have to announce that my dear friend and artist Alan Simpson RSMA passed away on Monday 25th June 2007. Alan was a highly talented painter of watercolours, oils and pastels. This gentle man's wet on wet watercolours were superb and he shared his great knowledge with the many many artists who flocked to his workshops and residential courses. In 1997, Alan was one of a group of artists who went with me to Israel to prepare for a nationwide exhibition in 1998 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel. He then went back to Israel to make a painted record and exhibition of the proud Etheopean immigrants living in the Galil. He was a good friend and will be greatly missed by me and all who knew him. Sleep well dear friend.
Linda
Alan Simpson was born in Basingstoke in 1941. He was a member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the International Society of Marine Artists. He exhibited widely in the UK, Canada and USA.
Alan Simpson had a great love of the sea and was principally a marine painter - having drawn inspiration for his paintings from many ports and harbours along the English and French coasts. However, his work also embraced landscape and architectural subjects with the occasional surprise of a dreamy flower painting. Though most well known for his beautiful use of water colour, this extremely versatile artist worked to great effect in every media, allowing the subject to demand the medium that would best express the idea.
For many years Simpson's efforts went towards an ongoing commission for works of art for a major Building Society, for all their branches nation-wide. More recently he was involved with marine suppliers MUSTO and painted a prize for their annual "Marine Adventure" competition with the painting being presented at the London Boat Show in 2006.
Simpson won a major award at the Royal Society of Marine Art.
