Geraldine van Heemstra’s ‘Windswept’ – her visceral exhibition of paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, sketchbooks and concertinas – comes to a close tomorrow afternoon. The Little Gallery could hardly contain the energy of Scotland’s weathered coastlines, transmitted by Geraldine through brush, charcoal, needlepoint, ink and bronze, and tangibly felt in the peat-stained frames, seaweed, heather and sea-polished stones that all form part of her work.
No pure blue skies, calm and heat-basked seas here. Rather, the bracing and invigorating experience of giving oneself over to the elements – to feel the wind, taste the salt, sense the earth, catch shafts of light – and be all the move alive for it. That Geraldine can condense the power and sensation of the vast expansiveness of Scotland’s tempestuous coast forms part of her work’s most enduring and emotive qualities.
Charlie Minter, Director Winsor Birch, November 2025
Thank you to all those who visited, and to those lucky pupils who were able to experience the joy of print-making under Geraldine’s tutorship.
We can be sincerely grateful for the artists of the world, blessed with gifts not all of us can emulate, but thankfully can benefit from! All Geraldine’s works from the exhibition are viewable on our website.