Biography

  • 1947Born in Manchester
  • 1967 - 71 Studied Fine Art at St Martin`s School of Art, London.
  • 1971 - 82 Self employed artist living in Thetford, Norfolk.
  • 1982 - Self employed artist living in Blencarn, Nr Penrith, Cumbria.
  • 2018 -Patron of Printfest
Solo Exhibitions:
  • 2020Alan Stones - Drawings & Lithographs - Northern Lights Blencathra Gallery, Keswick, Cumbria
  • 2019Drawn from Life - The Beacon Museum, Whitehaven, Cumbria
  • 2018Drawings by Alan Stones - Vallum Gallery, Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Carlisle
  • 2017 'Clearing' - Four Series of Paintings: 'Clearing', 'Vigil', 'Collateral' and 'Incident' plus 'A Search for the Man in the Street' - Upfront, Cumbria
  • 2017Alan Stones Lithographs - Gallery 45, Felton, Morpeth, Northumberland
  • 2014 'Nature...and Man'  Severn Studio, Brantwood, Cumbria
  • 2012 - today'Alan Stones - Lithographs' - The North Lakes Hotel, Penrith, Cumbria and also at 
  •                          Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, Redhills, Penrith, Cumbria 
  • 2001 One-man exhibition - Leipzig, Germany
  • 2001One-man exhibition - 'Great Expectations' at Borsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e V., Leipzip
  • 2000 - 2006Alan Stones - A large and changing exhibition of Alan's paintings, drawings and lithographs at Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2000 Thorn - Gateshead Central Library
  • 1999'Alan Stones - Paintings, Drawings and Prints', Penrith Museum, Cumbria
  • 1997 - 1998 a changing exhibition of works on paper - Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre, Lowther, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 1996 Looking out from Within - Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, Cumbria
  • 1996 Hartlepool Art Gallery
  • 1995 Leeds General Infirmary
  • 1995Drawing on the Falklands - One-man exhibition, Blencarn, Cumbria.
  • 1995One-man touring exhibition, Falkland Islands
  • 1994Open Studio / House, Blencarn, Cumbria.
  • 1994Oddfellows Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria
  • 1989Chandler Gallery, Leyburn, North Yorkshire
  • 1987 - 2012 Open studio every Wednesday afternoon, Blencarn, Cumbria.
  • 1986 - 87 'Fell Farm Labour' - Carlisle Museum & Art Gallery and touring to Imperial College London, The Manor House Illkley, Hawick Museum and The Scott Gallery, University Library Gallery Sheffield, Maclaurin Art Gallery Ayr, Scottish Highlands Region: Iona Gallery Kingussie, Swanson Gallery Thurso, St Fergus Gallery Wick, Syrish Trust Gallery Evinton.
  • 1985 - 86 'Work, Land and Livestock' - Lady Lodge Arts Centre, Peterborough and touring to The Minories, Colchester and The Harris, Preston.
  • 1985 Dove Cottage, Grasmere, Cumbria
  • 1985 Open Studio - Ten days at Blencarn
  • 1985Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery.
  • 1985Oldham Art Gallery.
  • 1985 Abbot Hall, Kendal, Cumbria.
  • 1984 Wetheriggs Pottery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 1978 Alan Stones at Premises, Norwich
  • 1978 Fermoy Gallery, King's Lynn
  • 1978 St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Thetford, Norfolk
  • 1975 Alan Stones with Eastern Arts Association Collection, Thetford, Norfolk
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Selected Group Exhibitions:                  
  • 2024 - 2025 44th Mini Print International of Cadaques, Taller Galeria Fort, Cadaques, Girona, Catalonia, Spain & touring to Pineda de Mar, Spain; Bages, France and Wingfield, Suffolk, UK
  • 2024Venice Biennale, Proseed Collective  ‘Personal Structures - Beyond Boundaries’,  European Cultural Centre (Italy) at Palazzo Bembo, Venice
  • 2024’Scotland Road to Venice’  - Proseed Collective at 24 Art Gallery, Edinburgh
  • 2023 - 2024New Light Art Prize,  Williamson Art Gallery Birkenhead, Bankside Gallery London, Rheged Arts Centre Penrith, The Biscuit Factory Newcastle upon Tyne, The Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate 
  • 2023Print North, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
  • 2023Summer Exhibition, Cambridge Contemporary Art
  • 2023Summer Exhibition, Lake Artists Society, Grasmere Village Hall, Cumbria
  • 2023The Great Print Exhibition 8, Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2022Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, London and touring
    2022Printfest, Ulverston, Cumbria
  • 2022 'Northern Lights' - A 10 Year New Light Retrospective, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
  • 2021 - 2022The Great Print Exhibition 7, Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2021'Chapter', CCA with 22 Cumbrian Artists at the Fratry, Carlisle Cathedral
  • 2021The Lake Artists' Summer Exhibition, Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2021'Through the Locking Glass', Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2021 'Inspire' ,7 Paternoster Row, Carlisle, Cumbria 
  • 2020 - 2021The Great Print Exhibition 6, Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2020'Presence', Winter Art Exhibition, Carlisle, Cumbria 
  • 2020 - 2021New Light Art Prize, Scarborough Art Gallery, Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery Carlisle, The Biscuit Factory Newcastle upon Tyne, Bankside Gallery London
  • 2020Lake Artists Society, The Old Courthouse, Ambleside, Cumbria
  • 2019 - 2020The Great Print Exhibition 5, Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2019The Westmorland Landscape Prize, Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  •          - winner of the Northern Lights Gallery Cumbrian Artist Prize
  • 2019Unpicturesque, Heaton Cooper Studio Archive Gallery, Grasmere, Cumbria
  • 2019Print at the Priory, Dacre Hall, Lanercost, Cumbria 
  • 2019Eden Valley Artists at the Courtyard, Appleby, Cumbria
  • 2019Spring Print at the Courtyard, Appleby, Cumbria
  • 2018Alan Stones Lithographs Pyramid Gallery, York
  • 2018 - 2019The Winter Collection, Saul Hay Fine Art, Manchester
  • 2018 - 2019The Great Print Exhibition, Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2017 - 2018New Light Art Prize,  The  Bowes Museum County Durham, Huddersfield Art Gallery and Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Carlisle
  • 2017 - 2018The Great Print Exhibition, Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2017C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year, Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2016The Great Print Exhibition, Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2016C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year, Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria 
  • 2015 - 2016 New Light Art Prize,The Bowes Museum, County Durham, The Mercer Gallery, Harrogate and Panter and Hall, London
  • 2015The Great Print Exhibition,  Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2015​Winter Exhibition, Gavagan Art, Settle, N. Yorkshire
  • 2015 C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year, Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2015New Light at Swinton Park, Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, North Yorksire
  • 2015A Day in the Life, Castlegate House Gallery, Cockermouth, Cumbria
  • 2015Printfest, Ulverston, Cumbria
  • 2014Printfest, Ulverston, Cumbria
  • 2013Alan Stones and Rebecca Payn at Castlegate House Gallery, Cockermouth, Cumbria
  • 2013Alan Stones and Rebecca Payn at Bellwood and Wright, Lancaster, Lancashire
  • 2013Threadneedle Prize - Mall Galleries, London
  • 2013What is Drawing? - The Customs House, South Shields, Tyne and Wear
  • 2013C-Art @ Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2012 C-Art at Tullie - Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, Cumbria
  • 2012'Connections & Differences (ii) - Alan Stones and Rebecca Payn at The Brewery, Cumbria
  • 2012'Das Kleine Format 2012, Diessen, Bavaria, Germany
  • 2011 Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Competition, Kings Place Gallery, London
  • 2011'Bite: Artists Making Prints', Mall Galleries, London
  • 2011Wrexham Print International
  • 2011'Twelve' - Artists from Cumbria, The Gallery at Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2009 - present The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  • 2009Alan Stones, Robert MacFarlane & Rebecca Payn - 23rd Summer Exhibition, Honor Oak Gallery, London
  • 2008 Jerwood Drawing Prize 2008 - The Jerwood Space, London and touring
  • 2008‘Outside the Glass – Perspectives on the poet Norman Nicholson’ - Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, Cumbria and touring
  • 2008 Originals 08 - Contemporary Printmaking, Mall Galleries, London - prizewinner
  • ​2008 Connections and Differences, Alan Stones at Farfield Mill, Sedburgh, Cumbria
  • 2008 ​Because, Because I Do, I Do - University of Cumbria, Ambleside
  • 2007 ‘Stone - Plate - Grease - Water International Contemporary Lithography’ - Museum of Modern Art for Wales in Machynlleth and touring
  • 2007 - 2015 Lake Artists Winter Exhibition - Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2006 ‘Herm’ - A Cumbria Institute Of the Arts exhibition touring South Africa
  • 2006‘Originals 06 - Contemporary Printmaking’ - Mall Galleries, London
  • 2006Printfest, Ulverston, Cumbria
  • 2005 - 2006 Daffodils - Brantwood and Keswick, Cumbria and touring to South Africa
  • 2003Printfest, Ulverston, Cumbria
  • 2003Jerwood Drawing Prize 2003 - The Jerwood Space, London and touring
  • 2003Christmas Exhibition - Henshelwood Gallery, Newcastle - upon Tyne
  • 2002 ‘Love, Labour and Loss' - Carlisle Museum and Art Gallery and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter
  • 2002Alan Stones, Jenny Devereux and Andre Bicat - 16th Summer Exhibition, Honor Oak Gallery, London
  • 2001Printfest, Ulverston, Cumbria
  • 1999- presentLake​ Artists Society Summer Exhibition, ​Grasmere, Cumbria
  • 1999 - 2000 'East North East' , Northern Print Studio & Nagoya Printworks (an exchange exhibition of printmaking from Japan & the North of England)
  • 1999 - 2000 Cheltenham Open Drawing and touring to Brussels and Hull Group printmaking exhibitions in Britain, Finland and Japan
  • 1998 - 1999 Cheltenham Open Drawing touring to Berlin and Hull - commendation
  • 1999The Contemporary Print Fair, Atlantis Gallery, Brick Lane, London
  • 1998 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition ('Forest')
  • 1998Drawings - Clayton Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • 1998Manchester Academy of Fine Arts 139th Annual Open Exh. (at Bury Art Gallery & Museum)
  • 1997 - 1998 Northern Lights - Shaddon Mill, Carlisle and Euston Station
  • 1997 Printmakers Council National Open, Whiteleys, London, W2
  • 1997Graffik `97 - Scunthorpe Museum and Art Gallery
  • 1997Artist - Makers Cumbria, Grasmere Village Hall, Cumbria
  • 1997 - 98 Robert Horne Printmaking - Carlisle Art Gallery and touring
  • 1996'The Tarns and Waterfalls of Cumbria' - Oddfellow Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria 
  • 1996 'Real Differences' - with Julian Cooper and Andrew Ratcliffe, Carlisle Museum and Art Gallery
  • 1994'Art in the Garden' - Oddfellow Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria 
  • 1993 'Art of Excellence' - Northern Artists - Terrace Gallery, Harewood House, West Yorkshire
  • 1993 'Eden' and 50 associated studies - Penrith Library, Cumbria
  • 1992The Western Bank Show, Wigton Festival of the Arts, Wigton, Cumbria
  • 1989The Advent Calendar - A Contemporart View, Gallery North, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
  • 1988Northern Artists, Wynyard Hall, County Durham
  • 1987 - 88 "The Self Portrait - A Modern View" - Artsite, Bath and touring
  • 1987Q.I.A. Artists from the North East of England in the U.S.A. 
  • 1987 "Northern Prints" - Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh College of Art.
  • 1986'Art, Science & Industry' - The Consort Gallery, Imperial College
  • 1986 "Tradition and Innovation in Printmaking Today" - Milton Keynes & touring
  • 1985 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
  • 1983 - 84 "Artist in Industry" - Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield and Touring.
  • 1982 Six East Anglian Artists - Kettles Yard, Cambridge.
  • 1979 - 81 2nd and 3rd Tolly Cobbold/Eastern Arts National Exhibitions.
  • 1978 Ellingham Mill, Norfolk
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Awards:    
  • 2022The Chris Benefield Memorial Award, Printfest, Cumbria
  • 2021New Light Art Prize, Visitor's Choice Award at The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • 2019The Westmorland Landscape Prize, Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  •         - winner of the Northern Lights Gallery Cumbrian Artist Prize
  • 2019Finalist - Cumbria Visual Artist of the Year, Cumbria Life Culture Awards
  • 2017Finalist - Cumbria Visual Artist of the Year, Cumbria Life Culture Awards
  • 2015Finalist - Cumbria Visual Artist of the Year, Cumbria Life Culture Awards
  • 2015C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year - short-listed and Winner of The People's Choice Award
  • 2015Upfront Open Exhibition, Unthank, Cumbria - 1st Prize
  • 2008'Originals' Contemporary Printmaking, Mall Galleries, London
  • 2000Eur​opean Union/Northern Arts Cultural Business Venture Award
  • 1998​First Hartlebury Award, Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, Cumbria
  • 1997Eden Arts Bursary
  • 1996 Printmaking Residency - Lowick House Print Workshop
  • 1988 Northern Arts Loan
  • 1987 Northern Arts Travel Award
  • 1986 Northern Arts
  • 1984​Gulbenkian Foundation Printmakers Award
  • 1984 Artist in Industry Fellowship -  Cooplands  Bakery/Yorkshire Arts Association
  • 1979 ​Eastern Arts Association Major Award
  • 1978Eastern Arts Association
  • 1976 Eastern Arts Association
Catalogues and Other Published Work:
  • 2022Trinity Buoy Wharf  Drawing Prize
  • 2022Printfest, Ulverston, Cumbria
  • 2022'Northern Lights' - A 10 Year New Light Retrospective, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
  • 2021The Great Print Exhibition 7 - Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria 
  • 2020The Great Print Exhibition 6 - Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2020Carlisle Guide (March/April Issue)
  • 2019The Great Print Exhibition 5 - Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2019The Westmorland Landscape Prize - Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2019'Quotes' - Inspirational Quotations : Creative Responses
  • 2018The Great Print Exhibition 4 - Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2017The Great Print Exhibition 3 - Rheged Gallery, Penrith, Cumbria
  • 2016 - present www.alanstones.co.uk - 2nd web-site (des. Jilly Allen)
  • 2016 The Jackdaw (Jan/Feb issue)
  • 2013 C-Art at Rheged - Rheged, Penrith, Cumbria 
  • 2012 C-Art at Tullie - Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, Cumbria
  • 2011 Wrexham Print International - Yale College, Wrexham
  • 2009The Biscuit Factory Winter Catalogue - the Biscuit Factory, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  • 2008 Jerwood Drawing Prize
  • 2006 'England's Landscape - The North West' pub. English Heritage
  • 2005 'Daffodils' - Cumbria Institute of the Arts
  • 2004 The Lake Artists Society - ' Centenary Celebration'  pub. The Lake Artists Society
  • 2003 Jerwood Drawing Prize
  • 2002 'Love, Labour and Loss' Carlisle City Art Gallery and Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter 
  • 2000 Northern Print at Negoya, Japan
  • 1999 - present  Lake Artists Society Summer Exhibition
  • 1999 Cheltenham Open Drawing Exhibition
  • 1998 Cheltenham Open Drawing Exhibition
  • 1998​ - 2016 www.​alanstones.co.uk - 1st web-site (des. Will Stones)
  • 1997 'Alan Stones, Lithographs III' pub. Alan Stones.
  • 1996 'Real Differences - Looking Out from Within' pub. Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle
  • 1996'The Tarns and  Waterfalls of Cumbria'  pub. Oddfellow Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria
  • 1996'Challenging the Status Quo' - pub. Cumbria Visual Arts Festival
  • 1996 - 99 Registers of 'Artists Working to Commission', North West England
  • 1994 'Art in the Garden' pub. Oddfellow Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria
  • 1993 'Eden' by James Hamilton pub. Alan Stones
  • 1992 "Alan Stones, Lithographs II" pub. Alan Stones
  • 1989 'Two Hundred Years of British Livestock Farming' - pub. The British Museum
  • 19892nd Register of Artists and Craftsmen in Architecture, pub. Art and Architecture Ltd.
  • 1988 The Science Museum - Industry-Science-Society-Museum
  • 1987 "The Self Portrait - A Modern View", pub. Artsite, Bath.
  • 1987 'Voices of Cumbria' - pub. Westmorland Gazette, Cumbria
  • 1986 Alan Stones Lithographs (i) - pub. Alan Stones
  • 1986 "Fell Farm Labour" James Hamilton, pub. Carlisle Museum and Art Gallery.
  • 1984 "Artist in Industry" pub. Sheffield City Art Galleries / YAA AWARDS
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Selected Bibliography: Reviews, Interviews and Essays
  • June 2019 Mary Ingham, Cumbria Life - 'People - watching'
  • Oct 2017  Mary Ingham, Cumbria Life  - 'Power of the Imagination'
  • 24.10.2017 Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • Jan 2012 Sue Allen, Cumbria Life - 'Together and Apart'
  • 1996 Janni Howker - catalogue essay for 'Looking out from Within - Tullie House
  • 1996 James Hamilton - catalogue essay for 'Looking out from Within' - Tullie House
  • 29 June 1995 BBC North - An Artist in the Falklands
  • 5 May 1995 Border TV - at the Studio - Drawing on the Falklands
  • Jan/Feb 1993 Mandy McAteer, Cumbria Life - 'Eden'
  • Jan 1993 BBC North - 'Eden'
  • Jan 1993 ​Border TV - 'Eden'
  • 1993 James Hamilton 'Eden - exhibition essay
  • Feb. 1990 David Leach, Northern Business
  • 10 - 11th Jan 1988 Richard Cork, The Listener - 'The Self Portrait - A Modern View'
  • Summer 1986 ​Roger Wollen, Art Line - Fell Farm Labour
  • 1986  James Hamilton - catalogue essay for 'Fell Farm Labour'
  • June 1985 Border TV - Open Studio Exhibition
  • March 1984 Yorkshire TV - Artist in Industry​
  • April 27 1979 Marina Vaizey  - Arts Review - 2nd Tolly Cobbold Exhibition
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Major Commissions include:
  • Falkland Islands Government, The National Science Museum, Portsmouth Central Library, IBM UK Ltd., Viscount Devonport, Copeland Borough Council, Count Fritz Von der Schulenburg, Penrith Library (Eden D.C.), DistaProducts Ltd., Lord and Lady Inglewood, Mr William Irving, The Hon.Christopher and Margaret Vane, Culgaith Parish Council (Kirkland Church), Mr and Mrs Sean Dexter, Jacky Naylor

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Public and Corporate Collections

The University of Wales, Bedfordshire Education Authority, Sheffield City Art Galleries, Derbyshire Museum Service,Carlisle Museum and Art Gallery, Haworth Art Gallery - Accrington, Drumcroon Wigan EducationArt Centre, Bolton Museum and Art Gallery, University of Central Lancashire, GulbenkianFoundation, Fife Regional Council Education Comm., Sheffield University Fine Art Society,Wakefield Art Gallery, Northern Arts, Sealink, Cooplands (Doncaster) Ltd., Imperial College ofScience and Technology, Bradford Industrial Museum, The Doncaster Scheme, Fylde ArtsAssociation, Grundy Art Gallery - Blackpool, The Leicestershire Collection, Isle of Wight HealthAuthority, The Contemporary Art Society, Rank Xerox, Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery,Northamptonshire College of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Tyne and Wear Museums,Northern Rock Building Soc., Ashington Hospital, Darlington Museum, Northumberland CountyCouncil, Cumbria College of Agriculture, Bury Art Gallery, Liverpool University, Portsmouth City Council, Derbyshire Museum Service, Arts Council North,University of Aberystwyth, Paintings in Hospitals, Nature in Art, Lakeland Arts.