BRIDGES, Alan

1940 - ?

Alan Gilder Bridges was born at Fitton House, Fitton Road, Downham Market, Norfolk in April 1940, son of Arthur Harry Bridges (26 July 1910-12 February 1994), a market gardener, and his wife Dorothy May Means (9 April 1913-19 October 1998), second daughter of Edgar Means, who married at St Mary's Church, Magdalen, Norfolk on 5 February 1938. Alan’s interest in art started in childhood under the influence of his father, who was a Norfolk farmer and a draftsman. Alan was educated at King's School, Ely and, under the guidance of Norman Wady (1932-2017), his art teacher, Alan developed his skills, winning both junior and senior art prizes. On leaving King's School he worked as an assistant salesman in Harrods Picture Gallery in London when he received his first commission for painting a mural for a lady customer. He then joined artist's material supplier Winsor & Newton where he met many other artists, and it was during this time that he enrolled into life drawing classes at St Martin's School of Art. He then made a change of career, joining a small advertising agency based in Fleet Street, training in advertising and marketing and, with a move to another agency, brought him into contact with a colleague which led to a business partnership in their own advertising agency in London which they ran for almost 30 years. During this time, he continued his artistic work within the business and undertook many painting commissions and exhibited in the UK and his work is now hanging in London, Ireland, Paris, New York, North Carolina, New Zealand, and South Africa. He married at Bromley, Kent in 1981, Patricia E. Stevens and since the mid-90's, when he sold his advertising business, he has been full-time artist with a studio at 1 Lampard Brook Cottage, Lampard Brook, Framlingham, Suffolk.

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Works by This Artist