Light in the Darkness

Flooded Fields (Liz Kelleher).

THERE is something intrinsically moody and yet honestly beautiful at the same time in the evocative sky and landscape paintings of Lincolnshire artist Liz Kelleher.

If you are familiar with the county’s big, sometimes disconcerting, skies and giant panoramas of flat land stretching from horizon to horizon, you will know instinctively what I mean.

Much of Kelleher’s work is giant in physical size too, reflecting the enormity of the natural landscape and offering the viewer a sense of presence and immersion.

Her paintings can easily take up a wall or two of any regular sized home - but the size and commanding play of light and dark only serve to draw you into the landscape, as if somehow you are standing right within it.

I viewed a collection of her emotive paintings on display during a week-long solo exhibition at the small but highly regarded Carre Gallery in the Lincolnshire market town of Sleaford. It regularly supports new and local artists, often showcasing their first ever public exhibition.

Kelleher is no newcomer to art or indeed the Lincolnshire landscapes which she walks daily for solace and inspiration. In 2023 she gave up her 15-year role as art teacher at Spalding High School in favour of a wholehearted pursuit of her passion for painting.

But first, as a kind of demarcation line between the old and the new, she undertook a 300-mile solo pilgrimage, trekking from Iona on the Scottish west coast to Lindisfarne in Northumbria, a truly spiritual walk in every sense.

Kelleher describes it as a “life-changing” experience which challenged her physically, emotionally and spiritually.

She emerged with a fresh vision for the way forward, not to mention a stunning portrayal of the Holy Island and Lindisfarne seascape, 10 feet wide and 4 feet high, a diptych called simply ‘Outlook on Lindisfarne’.

Her exhibition at the Carre Galley was fittingly named ‘Light in the Darkness’, a title enshrined in the paintings themselves but also an acknowledgement of her strong Christian faith.

“As an artist my practise involves daily walking, predominantly in the agricultural plains of South Lincolnshire,” she explained. “This fuels my connection, curiosity and profound appreciation of the magnificent sky filled places I inhabit.”

Kelleher says her work encompasses a range of processes which include walking, collecting, drawing, printmaking, photography and writing, all of which often culminate in her trademark large-scale oil paintings.

“The ephemeral contrasting light, colour, atmosphere and spontaneous, fast-paced fluctuations in weather experienced in the open landscape, especially during dawn and dusk, are awe inspiring. Such beauty takes my breath away and I feel a deep sense of intimacy.”

Kelleher’s landscape walks are not only visual, fact-finding missions but provide time to reflect on life and to pray.

“In my paintings I seek to explore and express the emotional intensity and connection I feel in my walk with God, which is the foundation of all I do. I’m thankful for the ‘light’ I experience through Jesus in what can often be a very challenging and dark world.”

Yorkshire-born Kelleher, who lived and worked in Essex before moving to Lincolnshire, says she naturally finds herself drawn to abstract with more figurative works before creating a sense of structure out of chaos.

She is also Creative Director for the Old Hospital Trust and A&E collaborative, which seeks to transform communities through arts and well-being projects, as well as provide opportunities and spaces for creatives.

“I love being immersed in the landscape and harnessing its energy,” Keheller adds. “It is a continuous sense of discovery and I want people to feel involved in my paintings in the same way.”  

Artist Liz Kelleher at the Carre Gallery, Sleaford.

Carre Gallery was opened in 2010 as a result of collaboration between a local businessman and the late Windham Hime, a professional artist and photographer. It is now operated by the Sleaford Gallery Arts Trust, a registered charity, and everyone involved in the gallery’s operation and management is a volunteer.   

A writer's imaginative eye

IT WAS an ordinary autumn weekend afternoon spent wandering the streets of Milan ahead of the start of my attending an international space conference in the city. 

After vying with the crowds in several bustling tourist areas, it was with much relief that I turned into a quieter street away from the hordes. 

The buildings, compared to the majesty of the Duomo Cathedral nearby, were plainer though still exuded an under-stated Italian style. 

Then, rounding a corner, I took an unexpected and sudden leap into the future! Above a deep shop window were three captivating words - ‘The Longevity Suite’.

Bullet points etched into the sign beneath listed a ‘Cryosuite’ and the services of ‘Advanced Bio-hacking’, each of which only exercised my fertile imagination further. 

Behind the semi-obscured glass were two female receptionists, identically dressed and each with long, dark hair, chatting across the counter to a potential new client.

For a few moments ‘The Longevity Suite’ and its setting in the back streets of Milan spun a tale of the future where the dream of extending the natural lifespan of humans had become reality.

In the dimming light of late afternoon, I realised the sign was really nothing more than over-hyped marketing cleverly designed to give the wealthy something to spend their money on.

But in this writer’s mind my short Italian sojourn had, if nothing else, sown the seeds for a futuristic story of morality, a doorway in time perhaps through which the Holy Grail of eternal life beckoned.