BRITISH WILDLIFE ARTIST
British Wildlife Artist Alan M 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 British garden birds, which had fascinated him from an early age, but soon moved on to capture animals and the natural world around him on canvas.
Alan M Hunt firstly studied art at Middlesborough Art College, he then decided to study zoology at Leeds college and Bristol University. His first solo exhibition was in his local town of Redcar and soon after Alan exhibited at the Austin Hayes Gallery in York.
Alan has received international acclaim as a wildlife painter for his animal art, winning The Society of Animal Artists’ USA Award of Excellence on four occasions and The Wildlife Art Societies UK "Best Artist on Show" for three consecutive years.
Alan M Hunt's popularity became immediately evident in the USA and he became the lead artist at five exhibitions in the US and in 1998 was the first non-American painter 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.
Alan’s animal art has become popular and also attracted huge interest at major auctions including Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Christie’s and continues to captivate collectors across the World. And has featured in Exhibitions with the Halcyon Gallery including Harrods in London.
In recent years, Alan has stepped away from the media spotlight, art exhibition and gallery circuit to explore and develop his painting style to become the best in his field and with a particular emphasis on capturing texture, depth and richness. His painting experiments have yielded feathers, fur and satin of unparalleled realism.
Alan is married to the equestrian artist Judi Kent Pyrah, with whom he has a son, Guy. His step-son Zach Mendelsohn has created an online presence and co-ordinated international art exhibitions for Alan during his time in France. Alan is now back in the UK and currently lives on the Wykeham Estate near Scarborough in North Yorkshire, UK.
During his painting career, Alan has exhibited his wildlife and animal paintings alongside John Seery-Lester, Robert Bateman, David Shepherd, Carl Brenders, Morten E. Solberg, Raymond Ching, Brian Jarvi, Kim Donaldson, Andrew Ellis, Terry Isaac, Lee Kromschroeder, Steve Winterburn and most of the top and best wildlife artists around the world.
Alan judged the Daily Mail's "Not the Turner Prize" painting competition at the Mall Galleries, and the "National Children's Art” Competition also at the Mall Galleries in London.
Alan is now semi-retired was section winner in the BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2010 with his exquisite tiger painting "The Watchmen" in the animals in their environment section. of the BBC wildlife artist of the year competition. More recently Alan won 3 awards at the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2018. These have been the only two art competition he has entered in the last 10 years.
Painting Field Trips
Some of the most memorable field trips have been Africa, Alaska, Yellowstone, Kenya, Guatemala, India, Nepal, Madagascar, Botswana and the Antarctic. His favourite was playing with the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda
Conservation
Alan’s passion for animals, wildlife and conservation has driven many fundraising efforts during his lifetime, raising money through donated artwork and percentage donations from print royalties - Save the North Tees Marshes to having Helped Save the Tigers (over £100,000.00)
There have been many different programmes for many countries.
Tigers and Snow leopards
Born Free foundation
The Peregrine trust USA
Big Cat Survival Trust
Tusk force Rhinos
Sappi South Africa
the Gambia Native Reserves
New Zealand, Save the forests-S Island
Tsavo East Kenya £20,000.00 anti-poaching (plaque in Keepers’ Lodge)
Friends of the Earth Int.
David Shepherd foundation
Ranthambore Trust
TV
Television and Radio Appearances in the UK, USA, Canada, Holland, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore.