Craig Hicks Art

The first time you walk into Craig Hicks Art, you'll notice the light. It floods through the windows and does something proper to the work on display - the kind of gallery space where you forget you're supposed to be looking at art and just end up looking. Based just outside Doncaster, this is a working studio and exhibition space run by the artist himself, which changes everything about how you experience the pieces.

Hicks works in paint and sculpture, and what strikes you most is the direct connection between maker and viewer. There's no curatorial distance, no twee interpretation boards. You're seeing exactly what he wanted you to see, hung the way he hung it. The work covers abstract and figurative pieces, often with a real sense of movement to them - the kind of paintings that genuinely reward standing in front of them for five minutes rather than the usual gallery shuffle-past.

It's not somewhere for kids who need entertaining every five seconds, but teenagers with even a passing interest in how art actually gets made will find it fascinating. Adults who like smaller galleries where you can actually think will spend a good hour here without feeling rushed. The proximity to Hooton Lodge Farm and Sunnyview Touring Park makes it a natural addition to a park-based holiday in the area - far better than another afternoon in Doncaster town centre.

Check ahead before you visit, as opening hours aren't fixed, and you'll want to make sure someone's actually there. Free admission as far as I can tell, though donations are welcome.