About the Artist
Alan Wolton was born the child of British parents living in South Africa. His father was a Cambourne School of Mines graduate in London. His parents lived in Chile, South America where his father worked in the copper mines. In 1934 the Spanish Peso crashed. Alan's dad took his family to South Africa where his qualifications enabled him to make an adequate living working as an assayer on the gold mines. He attended the Michaelis School of Art in Cape Town intended for a BA in Fine Arts course. His grandmother later financed a voyage to London and attendance at the Polytechnic School of Art on Regent Street. Alan, however, was so much more advanced in his painting than the average student but did benefit very much from the encouragement and technical instruction of one of the tutors. Alan found more inspiration outside of the classroom and searched out the great artists in the London National Gallery and the Tate. Works by William Turner and John Constable had an indelible effect on the young artist's career. So strong was the influence that Alan has maintained his own style through the surgence of art opinions. His style today whether labeled “bold realism” in London or “impressionism” in the States, is honored and respected by many artists who attempt to emulate him. The formal training again lasted only a few months and Alan returned to South Africa. In1955, Alan had his first professional one man show in the Greenwich Gallery in Johannesburg. Following this, he organized his own one man shows, hiring public venues in major cities in South Africa. His success grew in South Africa with extraordinary recognition among his private collectors. In 1982, dreaming of a greater success, Alan uprooted his family and came to the USA. Alan's work includes many European subjects including Italy's Venice and Monet's Giverny.