When Colaton Raleigh Artist Alan Cotton arrived in Devon in the late 1960’s, he fell in love with the lush landscape of the Otter Valley, near his home, and his early paintings depicted this idyllic part of East Devon. Later, looking for new challenges, he discovered the wild north Devon coastline of Hartland and still returns there to find inspiration for his paintings. He works in oils using only painting knives, so the rugged cliff-faces and rocky outcrops of Hartland suit his impasto techniques. Since then Alan has travelled all over the world to discover new locations for his work. The colours of his palette are for ever changing, from the vibrant greens and stormy Atlantic coast of Ireland to the warm ochres and golds of Provence in France, or Piemonte, in northern Italy. He has travelled on two occasions to the snowy slopes of Mount Everest, with the explorer and adventurer, Sir David Hempleman Adams. Then, in stark contrast, he has painted the sun-baked squares of Marrakesh and the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, in Morocco.
Through all his travels, however, Alan had never visited the southern hemisphere. So, when an invitation came from St James’s Palace, asking him if he would like to join the, then Prince of Wales, (now King Charles lll), as his tour artist to Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, it took Alan no time at all to accept the invitation. His Royal Highness had a long tradition of taking an artist with him, to record impressions of each visit, so for Alan this was not only an honour, but an opportunity to gather new ideas for his future exhibitions in London with David Messum Fine Art, who have represented him internationally for over thirty years.
Preparations were made for the Royal Tour, and they flew first to Columbo, capital of Sri Lanka, following the devastating tsunami the previous December.
Alan remembers,
“We flew low across the landscape, as dawn was breaking, where hills appeared through the mist and rivers glinted in the early morning light.” He was able to make a number of drawings and written notes, from which later, he did the paintings of Sri Lanka back in his studio in Devon.
Alan recorded in his diary
“It was midnight in the UK when we touched down in Columbo, but over there it was 6 am the following morning. Helicopters were waiting on the runway for the one-hour flight to Batticaloa, and as we flew low over the town, we could see the trail of destruction caused by the tsunami. The temple – a magnificent ornate structure – was split in half. For me it was a humbling experience – the fabric will be repaired, and donations for the appeal have been the largest ever – but the pain will be always in the peoples’ hearts – many have lost whole families, and none remains unscarred. I spoke to many people, including one man who had lost three of his children. The Prince’s visit gave everyone there an ‘uplift’. He has the ability to put people at their ease and communicates easily – a great skill.”
In Australia, the Royal party visited five locations, Perth, Alice Springs, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, with short stays in each, yet still time for Alan to do a series of drawings, as they travelled around. He was particularly impressed with the botanical gardens in Melbourne.
In the capital, Canberra, one of the high spots was the visit to the Australian War Memorial, a long building open to the sky with the aisles listing every Australian whose life was taken by war. Alan remembers that “Touchingly, thousands of families and friends had attached poppies to the names of their loved ones creating a peppered design of red against the marble columns. We were told that this is the most visited monument in Australia.”
On to New Zealand, and in Dunedin Alan felt more at home. The rugged cliffs of Taiaroa Head reminded him of Hartland, where he would stand on the cliff edge, looking down to the jagged rocks below and then casting his eye along the coastline to the distant horizon. Here, what exited him most, however, were the albatrosses, soaring above the cliffs, riding the themals, and then sweeping down to sea level. Alan was allowed to stay on and work there. He said, “To see these graceful birds, with a wingspan of three metres, gliding along the cliff tops and being lifted by the thermals, was a joyful experience.” The swirling waters below, also inspired Alan to draw and paint them.
The landscape of Fiji was particularly inspiring for Alan and provided a rich source of material,
He was given a driver, who took him to his own village, in the mountains. Here he did many drawings including the driver’s tethered ox. Alan said, “The weather was stormy, but there were brilliant passages of sun, when the landscape came to life and from my watercolours and drawings, I made a great number of paintings back in my studio in Colaton Raleigh, in Devon.”
On his return to the UK, Alan said, “Travelling as a tour artist, was a great privilege and a unique experience. It gave me a tremendous insight into just how much time and energy King Charles expends on these strenuous Royal Tours.”
In 2025 it is forty years, since His Majesty, the King, when Prince of Wales, first took a tour artist with him, to record impressions of the trip. The King has paintings from the tour artists, in his personal collection and to mark this anniversary, a selection of work from these, will be on exhibition in Buckingham Palace ballroom. This exhibition will be part of the tour of the state rooms, when the palace opens to the public, from 10th July to 28th September 2025
Tickets can be booked online at. https://www.rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace
Despite the hectic schedule, of Alan’s tour with King Charles, he managed to gather a wealth of material and the following autumn, all the paintings from the tour were exhibited at David Messum Fine Art, in their Cork Street Gallery. Paintings from all the countries to which Alan Cotton has travelled are on his website www.alancotton.co.uk. Current available work by Alan can be found at www.messums.com, or viewed at David Messum Fine Art, 12, Bury Street St James, London SW1Y 6AB Tel. 020 7287 4448