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WELGORA

(11 customer reviews)

£17.99 £14.99

ISBN: 978-0-9927220-6-7   WELGORA – the equestrian art of Alan Langford. Quality paperback – Autobiography of New Forest artist Alan Langford, member of the Society of Equestrian Artists, illustrated with his oil and watercolour paintings, and pencil & wash sketches.

27 in stock

Description

WELGORA
The equestrian art of Alan Langford

ISBN: 978-0-9927220-6-7

a New Forest artist’s book

 

‘Welgora’ means ‘Romani horse fair’, and Alan’s book reflects his lifelong fascination for horses and the special relationship that they share with people, in particular with the Romanies. This interest grew from his early childhood when he lived with his family at Drapers Copse, Dibden.

My Romani friends

Alan writes, ‘It was there that I met my first Romani gypsies. They were a tough lot, and their toughness became most apparent during the winter of 1962-1963. Everyone on that caravan camp had a hard time that winter. Water froze in the pipes, so there were times when there was no running water. Our beds were hard against the caravan walls and we awoke in blankets damp and cold from condensation.’

An early lesson

As a young boy, Alan decided to make friends with some New Forest ponies and they quickly taught him a valuable lesson –

I had taken some slices of stale bread from the bread bin in our caravan, determined to make friends with these wonderful creatures. I soon discovered a small herd and offered them crumpled slices of the bread from my flattened palm. The ponies were all eager to indulge in my generous offer and very soon all the bread was gone. That was when things started to turn for the worse.

Alan painting from life at Eyeworth Pond

As well as telling his life story, Alan’s book has sketches, watercolours and large oil paintings on every page spread. His start in life did not favour a career in art, but after working as a mine worker in Australia, he moved back to work locally at Fawley Refinery while studying art at night school. In time he found a job as an illustrator and later became a freelance comic strip artist.

Eventually he took the big step of becoming a self-employed full-time artist.
Alan makes use of his wide life experience and the time he has spent practising his craft to get as close as he can to capturing ‘the illusion of movement that compels me to paint’.

The Commoner’s Triumph – large watercolour

The power of Alan’s paintings will be appreciated by people who have been to a welgora or have heard of or taken part in the New Forest drifts, the pony sales at Beaulieu Road Station and the annual Boxing Day Point to Point.
He brings a life and energy to the people and horses so intense that you can almost feel their hot breath and smell the earth.

 

Additional information

Weight 0.60 kg

11 reviews for WELGORA

  1. Bymrs Cindy ann ransomon (Amazon)

    A really good read, thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.It read and felt like Alan was telling me all about it personally.

  2. cjallen (Amazon)

    Enjoyed reading this book, place names are familiar to me and l loved all the paintings of the Romanies from a time long gone now. My mother was born in a Vardo and knew Augustus John. Kushti Bok.

  3. Bybabs weston (Amazon)

    Really enjoyed this book,informative insight into Romany life,accompanied by wonderful illustrations of Alan’s art.I also really admire his honesty about the ups and downs he went through,not easy to bare your soul so publicly, he managed to portray this with both dignity and humour.Thoroughly enjoyable read.

  4. Mrs. V. A. Fisher (Amazon)

    Lovely book

  5. Tony Bull (Amazon)

    Interesting biography. Beautiful paintings.

  6. Amazon Customer

    Beautiful book, stunning artwork

  7. Jo Richardsin (Amazon)

    what a life he has led

  8. Mrs M Gett (Amazon)

    I know Alan & am delighted he has written this book.

  9. John (Amazon)

    I bought this for my wife who is into horses, and she’s delighted with it.

  10. Caz Edwards (Amazon)

    Great book full of history and lovely paintings

  11. B L Graham

    B L Graham (Amazon) – 19 May 2018
    Five Stars
    This is an historical portrayal of life.

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