Aquarelle économies par Alan Percy Walker. Ferme Norfolk

Alan Percy Walker's careerin art first arose in the early 1970's with the writing of two novels and theproduction of a small collection of watercolour landscapes. The paintings sold;the novels did not. His writing took a back-seat while his painting increasedin popularity and sold, mainly through private galleries – often one-manexhibitions – with much of his work going abroad.

He was first known primarilyfor his urban and marine landscapes, many of which have been published inbooks, calendars, magazines such as Country Life, and in the form of limitededition prints. A large body of his work in pen and ink has also been publishedin books and newspapers – Peterboroughof the Daily Telegraph and others.

Control of perspective andobservation of detail lead to his being commissioned to paint a wide range ofsubjects, from small cottages to stately homes, from Cathedrals to The RoyalCourts of Justice. His clients have included the National Trust, the Church of England,and various universities. He has been commissioned on 10 occasions to producewatercolours of Gold Medal winning gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Shows. Inmore recent years his trees and rural landscapes have become especiallypopular, also his paintings of ocean going yachts and ships in wild andturbulent waters.

His first cautious return towriting was in 1983 when he ‘ghosted' Sam Grigg's book ‘Country Railwaymen'which also contained 104 pen and ink drawings. The book was awarded a tradeprize for design and originality, and subsequently made a Book Club choice. Itwent to a 3rd impression.

‘Country Town',a book written by Alan Percy Walker and illustrated with 180 of his pen and inkdrawings, was also well received and went to 3rd impression after it waspublished in 1988. Since then a number of other books of his paintings anddrawings have been published.

Most of his paintings arewatercolours, on plain white 140lb Cold Pressed paper; he uses very littlegouache and his watercolours contain no line-work; Also his paintings aredevoid of pentimenti. His drawings are on cartridge paper using lead pencil, orcommon ball-point pen, or Indian ink with a ‘dip and scratch' nib; hisfigurative work is often on sepia tinted paper using Caran d'Ache crayons.

He says now that time spentwriting is a joy not often afforded. Painting demands precedence. Recent workincludes commissions from Sankyo Shoji Corp, Tokyo:ANidec Group Company; Reeves, Watercolour calendars of Great Britain; Ministry of Finance, Sarawak; Royal Marines School of Music, The NationalLibrary of Wales.

Originally from Kent and Londonhe moved with his family to Walesin 1988.