The Changing Light

Tony Allain claimed the Artists & Illustrators prize at this year’s Pastel Society Annual Exhibition. Natalie Milner talks to him about his mission to capture the moment

- Tony Allain

Tony Allain isn’t the first artist to be attracted to the ethereal Cornish coastline, but he could be the first to compare its quality of light to New Zealand. Having spent a few years in the land of the long white cloud, Tony had easy access to its spectacular landscapes, from the mesmerising Southern Alps and mountain passes to waterfalls and hills dotted with sheep stations. There’s no arguing both places possess a remoteness where light can work its magic. Isolated outposts are a running theme in Tony’s work.

Born on the Channel Island of Guernsey, his shadow casts far and wide, having shown his work right across the world from London to New York. Recently honoured as a member of the Master Circle of the International Association of the Pastel Society, Tony also holds positions in the pastel societies of America, the UK and New Zealand.

It was earlier this year at the Pastel Society’s Annual Exhibition at London’s Mall Galleries that Artists & Illustrators’ editor Sally Hales endorsed Tony’s Cadgwith Cove with our annual award, saying: “It felt like a fresh and dramatic take on the sometimes genteel fishing boat motif. It conveys power and strength – the industry of a working harbour.” This lasting impact grew from humble beginnings. The painting started life as a sketch; with his back to the coastline the artist recorded the everyday scene on a walk, a somewhat habitual practice. “Sketching and drawing for me is the basic language of painting. Drawing is the tool that can help an artist see and understand his surroundings,” Tony explains. “When you get inspired by a subject, it is only when you start to draw you begin to fully understand its shapes, tones and lines.”