We are delighted to share some wonderful news from one of our tutors here at the London Art College. Heather Jolliffe has been recognised at the Red House Open Art Competition, held at the Red House Museum in Christchurch, Dorset, and we could not be prouder to celebrate her success with you all.
The Red House Open is a competition with no set theme, which means artists are free to submit any work they choose. It is a lovely, open invitation that draws a real variety of art, and the standard is always high. Heather has entered in a number of previous years and has had work accepted before, so being selected is an achievement in itself. This year, however, went one step further.
Not only were both of Heather’s submitted entries accepted into the exhibition, but on her visit to the private view she noticed something rather special. Tucked underneath the label for one of her paintings was an extra label she had not been expecting. Her oil on canvas, New Forest Tree, had been given the Manager’s Choice Award.
In Heather’s own words, “I was both surprised and delighted.” And what a reason to be. While another artist took the overall top prize, the Manager’s Choice Award comes with something truly exciting attached, a solo exhibition at the Red House Museum in 2027, with dates still to be confirmed. The current exhibition holds around seventy pictures, and as Heather tends to work on a larger scale, she estimates it will take around fifty of her own paintings to fill the space. As she happily told us, she is already planning.
New Forest Tree is a beautiful example of Heather’s work, capturing the twisting, characterful form of an ancient tree bathed in dappled light. The rich greens, warm ochres and cool violet shadows bring the whole woodland scene to life, and it is easy to see why it caught the manager’s eye.
Congratulations, Heather, from all of us at the London Art College. This is a richly deserved recognition of your talent and dedication, and we cannot wait to see the solo exhibition come together in 2027. We will be cheering you on every step of the way, and we know your students will be every bit as thrilled as we are.
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