the artists wife

Pump Room, Bath

“Pump Room in the Snow” is a large studio watercolour by my husband Alan Reed based on studies made on location in Bath.

Over the last two years he entered the Bath Prize, a painting competition  held annually in Bath where contestants are given a specific location in Bath to paint “plein air”. Once they have painted their allocated scene before the competition deadline, they can enter other paintings they may have done of Bath.

In 2010 he came runner up with the painting of the Royal Crescent and in 2011 and won first prize for the best painting of the Circus in Bath.

The little girl dressed in a bright red coat (our eldest granddaughter Emily) added an important focal point to the composition. The original watercolour can be seen at the Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.

Bath Prize 2010

When I heard about the “Bath Prize” 2010 competition, I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity for Alan Reed (my husband) to paint (plein air) on location which he loves doing.

He entered the competition which automatically gives the artist a place in the City of Bath of which to paint. He was allocated “Great Pulteney Street”.

I immediately organized a trip to Bath for the weekend for us both which we thoroughly enjoyed. Whilst I left Alan painting with his watercolours, paintbrush and sketchbook, I made my way around all the amazing and unusual little shops and market.

When I returned I was amazed, but not surprised to see the fantastic results of the outstanding watercolour of Great Pulteney Street which Alan painted in the rain whilst sitting on a bench under an umbrella. 

On that same weekend Alan did some other paintings around Bath which are also stunning. You can see on his blog http://blog.alanreed.com definately worth a look!

The resulting highlight is that we have the news that he is now in the finals for the prize………………….watch this space.