Alan Langford: Painting the Heart of Horse and Heritage - by Dee Cooper

Alan’s work will be on display at the New Forest Painters Exhibition on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October at Lyndhurst Community Centre

In the gentle light of a Hampshire morning, Alan Langford can often be found with sketchbook, brush, or pencil in hand, his gaze fixed on the quiet power of a horse. For Langford, as one of Britain’s foremost equestrian artists, art is less about stillness than about motion — the twitch of an ear, the surge of a gallop, the quiet dignity of a working animal standing in harness.

Born in Bournemouth in 1952, Langford’s lifelong fascination with horses began in childhood. That early passion eventually found its perfect canvas in the New Forest and Dartmoor landscapes, where he still works en plein air, observing horses and ponies in their natural environment. His approach is traditional, his hand steady across oil, watercolour, pen, and ink, mediums that allow him to capture not only form but spirit.

Langford’s career path, however, was far from conventional. He began in the late 1970s at Etch masters in Alresford, producing finely detailed topographical illustrations later etched onto copper plaques. After three years, he turned freelance, joining a Fleet Street artist agency and branching into comic strips, book covers, and fantasy game illustrations. His artwork appeared in children’s television productions such as Zigzag, bringing myths like Romulus and Remus to life for a young audience. Yet it was the horse and the communities who lived alongside them — that kept calling him back.

That call took him to the Romany horse fairs, or welgoras, that punctuate the cultural calendar across Britain. There, Langford found a subject rich in both energy and tradition: steaming horses in harness, traders deep in negotiation, the swirl of wagons and families gathering in celebration. His 2015 book, WELGORA: The Equestrian Art of Alan Langford, is a tribute to these scenes. Containing over a hundred sketches, watercolours, and oils, it is both an artistic portfolio and an ethnographic record, preserving a way of life too often overlooked.

Recognition followed. Langford is now a full member of the Society of Equestrian Artists, exhibiting alongside greats like Sir Alfred Munnings and Lucy Kemp Welch. His work has hung in the Southampton City Art Gallery’s Nags to Thoroughbreds exhibition, positioning him within a centuries-long tradition of British equestrian painting. But unlike many before him, his focus is not aristocratic portraits or racing stables; it is the working horse, the community fair, the intimate partnership between human and animal.

What makes Langford’s art compelling is its authenticity. His horses are not idealised symbols but living, breathing beings. The flick of a tail, the dust rising beneath hooves, the quiet weight of a draught horse pulling its load, all are rendered with the eye of someone who has not only looked but truly seen.

Alan’s work will be on display at the New Forest Painters Exhibition on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October at Lyndhurst Community Centre.

He will be exhibiting alongside his wife, Janet Langford, as well as other talented artists including Courtney Legget, Peter Frost, Jenny Pitt, Hilary Tratt, Sue Kerrigan-Harris, Barry Mills, Pam Baker, and Richard Tratt.

With such a wide range of work on show, there’s sure to be a painting to suit every taste.

Alan’s book WELGORA will also be available at the New Forest Heritage Centre, opposite the exhibition venue. With a bit of luck, you may even get to meet the man himself and have your book signed.

So, save the date and treat yourself to a weekend full of horses, heritage, and all the delights the New Forest has to offer.

 WELGORA is also available online: Amazon link

 Visit Alan’s website: www.alanlangford.co.uk

At a time when modern Britain risks losing touch with its rural and cultural roots, Alan Langford’s work stands as both art and archive. Through his brush, the traditions of the New Forest, the Romany Welgoras, and the enduring bond between people and horses are preserved for future generations. In every line and wash, there is a reminder that heritage, like art, is alive only so long as someone keeps telling its story.

By Dee Cooper 

For the Travellers Times 

(All artwork by Alan Langford)