Alan Bickley Cumbre Del Sol, oil, 12x12in (30.5x30.5cm)
Alan Bickley is a regular contributor to our PaintersOnline e-newsletters, where he demonstrates painting techniques. He has won many competitions organised by The Artist and Leisure Painter, the most notable being an award winner at the TALP Open Art Competition for the past four years. Here he tells us about how he uses oils to achieve the effects he is looking for in his work.
‘Art has been my passion since childhood, so being accepted to art college was a dream come true. I studied fine art and graphics before embarking on a career as a graphic designer, working many years for a major newspaper publisher, both as studio manager and latterly editorial artist. Since retiring, I’ve had more time to concentrate on my main interest of painting. I’ve held many oneman exhibitions over the years and also demonstrated painting techniques to a variety of art clubs. I love the whole experience of working with oil paint – the depth of colour that is achievable excites me, as well as the process of applying the paint with a brush or painting knife, allowing me the versatility to experiment, from heavy impasto, scumbling, to more subtle glazes, depending on the subject.