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He’s been working the theory of colour in recent years to get his palette perfect, and his burgeoning reputation continues to grow.
He appears regularly on radio and TV advising on complex heritage-related issues in his role as MD of AOC Archaeology Group but his other love is painting land and seascapes.
Heald has built a reputation as an expressionist painter and he is now about to exhibit with acclaimed landscape artist Matthew Draper in a new exhibition.
A Moment in Time at Findra Fine Art in Gullane opens on Saturday, September 6 and builds on a passion both artists share of capturing fleeting moments at they pass over landscapes.
Draper is well-known for his depictions of the Bass Rock and both he and Heald have spent time sketching on a famous archaeological site, Traprain Law, outside Haddington.
The site rises out of the East Lothian countryside and made headlines across the world in 1919 when archaeologists discovered a pit dating back to the fifth century that includes priceless treasures from the final days of the Roman Empire.
The twin appeal of Traprain Law, says Heald, is its status as a site of significant historical importance and the fact it’s an inspiring place to make art.
He explains: “For some reason, I will never paint anything obviously archaeological; such as a stone circle. I just don’t do it. But for me, there is a connection to certain landscapes, especially Traprain Law.
“My work is all about building a relationship to place, sketching, painting and scraping off layers from my canvases to excavate, if you like, and to see what emerges.”
“I often draw the prominent hills in East Lothian because all – apart from Bass Rock – were important strongholds during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period. When Matthew came up with the title of A Moment in Time for our exhibition, I knew that Traprain Law was somewhere I’d like to take him.
“I’ve long admired Matthew’s work and I even own some of his paintings so it was a thrill for me when he suggested to Alan Rae from Fidra Fine Art that we exhibit together.”
Both artists take different approaches with Heald working outside quickly on large, rolled-up pieces of canvas while Draper makes working drawings as a study for larger works.
Gallery owner Alan Rae says both take an original approach to the world they see, as he said: “Matthew Draper’s style is very dynamic. He often works at scale, using pastels and also his hands and forearms, to create fantastic, subliminal depictions of light and shade. He is famous for including the Bass Rock in many of his compositions. His work is all about catching the spirit of a time and a place. He is a very instinctive artist.
“Andy Heald’s work is constantly evolving and it’s been a joy to watch him develop as a painter these last few years. He often sketches and paints outside before moving indoors to his studio to see where the process takes him. The unintentional marks, drips or words which find their way into his work, are what make his paintings so unique and original.
“Both artists possess a dynamism in their work which is different but complimentary. Their work sits together beautifully and I’m really looking forward to seeing it in the gallery.”
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Edinburgh-based Matthew Draper added: “As two artists working in the field of contemporary British landscape painting, Andy and I were both keen to visit Traprain Law together and make a piece of work which was our own individual response to that particular vista.
“We recognise if we both made a work based on the same landscape and exhibited those pieces in the same space, it would be a fascinating way of highlighting our individual and different approaches to the tradition of landscape painting.
“The finished works demonstrate the differences between our methods of gathering information. This part of the exhibition will hopefully convey to viewers the initial intent behind the whole exhibition.
“My subject matter is light and landscape and the way the light affects the landscape and objects within it. I choose to return to the Bass Rock time and time again in my work because it is such a beautiful shape and structure.
“I love the way it captures light and absorbs all the light and colour around it. It’s a bonus in this instance that you can see the Bass Rock from Traprain.”
Heald added: “When Matthew and I first talked about A Moment in Time, we decided it would be interesting to go to same vantage point and respond to it.
“The Traprain experiment is a small section of the exhibition as we have both made work responding to other places we love, not to mention capturing moments in time.
“I might not make paintings which are about archaeology, but I’m constantly trying to catch the spirit of a place. Traprain Law, a huge icon in Scottish history since the Bronze Age around 3000 years ago, is important to me and many others. When the Romans were here, it would have been where a person of note lived. Knowing a place has such a history feeds into the spirit of a painting for me.
“I’m so glad that I was able to share the experience of working up there with Matthew.”
A Moment in Time: Matthew Draper & Andy Heald, Fidra Fine Art, 7-8 Stanley Road, Main Street, Gullane, EH31 2AD. From Saturday 6 September to Sunday 12 October 2025
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