Alan Furneaux was born in London in 1953. Artists such as Frost, Hitchens, Nicholson, Matisse, Klee, Picasso, Braque, to name but a few, were all early influences of his art but at the age of 14, he was greatly influenced by the English painter Patrick Heron for his simple and direct approach. Alan left Secondary Modern School at 17 and went to Reigate School of Art for two years although it he did not make art his career until much later.

In 1985, Alan Furneaux moved to Brighton, finding rooms near George Hann's studio. George (who was his grandfather) was an established artist and the two men formed a mutual friendship based on discussions about Jack Kerouac, George's life as a painter, and art in general.