My father, Alan Burgess, who has died aged 88, was a well-respected artist and art teacher, latterly at East Herts College, where he taught for nearly 30 years.
In 1957 Alan was selected for Young Contemporaries (now New Contemporaries), a show for emerging artists. His early abstract work changed to paintings of trees and landscapes after a move to Roydon, Essex, in the late 1960s.
In recent years, he became interested in multiples, capturing the same subject from different angles or grouping related subjects. These ranged from veteran oaks at Hatfield House to the view from Ruskin’s bedroom over Coniston Water. His final exhibition, Mainly Multiples, at the Gibberd Gallery, Harlow, in 2024, celebrated this development.
Alan’s biggest project was a grid of 50 oil paintings of each of the 50 “great British trees” chosen by the Tree Council to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee in 2002. Over a period of two years, Alan travelled around the UK painting the trees in situ, with the final work shown first at the Tree Council, London, (2004-05), then at various locations including the National Arboretum, Westonbirt, Gloucestershire (2005) and Boxfield Gallery, Stevenage (2012-13).
Born in West Mersea, Essex, Alan was the son of Rose (nee Rabbetts), who was in domestic service before marriage, and Herbert Burgess, a gardener.
His artistic talents emerged while still at the village school, after which he went to Colchester Royal grammar. He left after O-levels in 1953 but returned to education a year later, studying art and design at Colchester School of Art, then trained as an art teacher in Manchester. His national service was completed in the army education corps, in Malaya, where he learned Chinese painting techniques from a local artist (1958-60).
He embarked on teaching at the Brook secondary school, Loughton (1960-62). After a couple of years as a voluntary teaching assistant at Woodcroft special education school, Epping, Alan was appointed lecturer in art and design at East Herts College, now part of Hertford Regional College (1964-92), where he was highly respected for his encouragement, humour and technical expertise, allowing people to find their own styles and approaches.
Alan also had an active interest in protecting the countryside. He took leading roles in several successful campaigns to protect local green belt land from development, and led the formation of a volunteer conservation group. He was responsible for planting numerous trees, and was also instrumental in projects such as reopening Blind Lane, an ancient sunken path, and a community orchard.
During retirement, Alan ran an art class at St John’s ARC, in Old Harlow. Central to his life was his meditation practice, and he devoted many evenings to the School of Meditation in Holland Park, London, where he supported and mentored fellow practitioners.
In 1967 he married Angela Godfrey, a sculptor. Alan is survived by Angela and me.
