Coming to Light
Our artist in residence, Richard Heys, writes: “In the summer of 2023 I met up with my friend and fellow artist Alex McIntyre. Alex lives in a small village in Hertfordshire and had long had the dream to turn the downstairs of her home into a gallery space. She invited me to show my work alongside hers in the first of these exhibitions and we decided on the theme of “Coming to Light”. The show opened in January of this year with an opening talk by the poet John Prebble and over the course of that Friday evening and the weekend Alex’s neighbours, friends and other people from the village and surrounds popped in to see the work, have conversations about art while enjoying a cup tea or glass of wine. It was a real festival! Two weeks later we ran a 3-day painting workshop on the same theme in the village hall. We had a full house for these concentrated days of painting, working on colour, texture and composition. Truly a wonderful start to my year!
We’ll be bringing the exhibition to Emerson College in September and will also be offering the 3-day Coming to Light workshop. There are still a few places available should you wish to take part, click here for further details.“.
“Alex’s and Richard’s expertise, enthusiasm and encouragement, their ‘light-touch’ approach to tutoring and their sensitivity to and respect for individual’s interests, needs and concerns enabled me to see making artworks in a new light.” – Ken Ager
“I’m responding to the landscape in new ways … let’s play!”- Louisa Crispin
Richard Heys is an abstract painter & painting tutor based at Emerson College. He creates paintings with presence & his work is colour-driven. https://richardianheys.co.uk/
Alex McIntyre is a painter, facilitator and coach based in Hertfordshire. Her paintings speak of physical, spiritual and emotional experiences of landscape and often explore transitional light as a metaphor for hope, resilience and change. https://www.alex-mcintyre.co.uk/
