Poppy Melia Irish Art painter in Kerry

ARTIST : POPPY MELIA

THE PROFILE OF POPPY MELIA

Poppy Melia (Dublin, 1966) is an Irish artist with an international sensibility and presence. In 1989, after graduating from the National College of Art and Design, she spent a year painting on the Polynesian Islands with fellow artists Pauline Bewick and Holly Melia, her mother and sister. On returning to Europe her debut solo exhibitions in London (the Catto) and in Dublin (the Rubicon) were critical and commercial triumphs. Since then, Poppy has travelled and painted throughout the world, drawing inspiration from sojourns in Nepal, China, New Zealand, North America and Europe, in particular Tuscany where she has summered with her family since early childhood. However her main inspiration is rooted in the Kerry countryside, its mountains, lakes, sea, flora and fauna, which have surrounded her since childhood. Her art is highly sought after in the print media and in literary publishing and she has appeared on many TV and radio programmes. Her work hangs in private and public collections throughout Europe, America and South Africa.

Poppy paints highly detailed, realistic, rhythmical works, which can often take up to a year to complete. Since 2004 her success has meant that all of her art is sold before it is even completed.

Alan Hayes of Arlen House

"Her clear observation of her subjects, exact and sensitive drawing are all well absorbed in her strongly decorative compositions." The Irish Times

EXHIBITED ARTWORK

Exhibitions

1990 - The Rubicon Gallery, Dublin
1991 - The Catto Gallery, London
1992 - The Rubicon Gallery, Dublin
1993 - Frank Lewis Gallery, Killarney
1995 - The Catto Gallery, London
1996 - Frank Lewis Gallery, Killarney
1998 - Lavitt Gallery, Cork
2000 - Frank Lewis Gallery, Killarney
2004 - Frank Lewis Gallery, Killarney

Mixed Exhibitions

1991 - The Royal College of Art, London
1992 - Irish Life, Dublin “Through Kerry Eyes”
1992 - Royal Hibernian Academy, Annual Exhibition
1993 - Rubicon Gallery, Dublin “The Christmas Show”
1994 - The Rubicon Gallery, Dublin “ Generations”
1995 - Frank Lewis Gallery, Killarney “Summer Show”
1995 - Royal Hibernian Academy, “Banquet Exhibition”
1995 - Frank Lewis Gallery, Killarney, “Christmas Show”
1995 - The Bin Ban Gallery, Tralee, “Christmas Show”
1997 - Siamsa Tire, “Friends of Tralee Hospital”
1999 - Royal Hibernian Academy, Annual Exhibition
1999 - Cill Rialigh, “Female Artists working in Kerry”
2000 - Lavitt Gallery, Cork, CASe 2000
2000 - Bank of Ireland Arts Centre
2004 - Lavitt Gallery, Cork, “Summer Show”

Since the success of Poppy Melia’s exhibitions, she has worked solely on private commissions after 2004. However, Poppy has recently stopped taking commission work and will take time working for a few years on a collection for a solo exhibition in Dublin.

If you are interested in original artwork please contact Poppy and you will be placed on a waiting list to preview the exhibition works in a few years time, before the opening date.

INSPIRATION FOR ARTWORK

“A work starts to germinate when I witness an uplifting and captivating scene in nature. I get inspired and immediately start visualising compositions that bring together the elements that portray the essence of the all-encompassing scene, a heron catching fish, a swan taking off, a damsel fly landing on a water lily. I take photos, bring home plants, use reference books, and sometimes I research on the web. I inherited a beautiful library of natural history books from an old artist friend, Patricia Bianchi.

I read up on the subjects to get a good understanding of their behaviours, and sometimes contact experts to make sure the elements and actions in my painting are accurate.

The next step after I have gathered all my references is to loosely sketch some compositions, and then draw my favourite onto tracing paper, sized for the final piece. I then work on that in pencil in an extremely loose fashion, refining the composition until I’m completely happy with it, enough to spend months painting it.

I transfer my composition onto handmade paper, and start with the base colours, followed by layer upon layer of detail, in gouache paint.

I am attracted to the close-up structure and patterns in nature. I like to be as accurate as I can, while still painting in my own style, emphasising patterns and defining details that would normally be impressions to the eye. Each stage of my work takes a long time. My paintings can take months, even up to a year to complete.”