Andrea McLean

In the Cathedral

Oil on canvas, 2002

Painting in the Cathedral

In Autumn, a misericord, a dark wooden fox is eating dark wooden acorns in a dark wooden tree. Looking up, leaves and angels like tuna fish are caught in the net of the choir vaulting.

In Winter, the pattern of stone tracery is seen across a pale viridian air. I continue to work on circular canvases. Painting them from daily life in nave, ambulatory and cloister, arranging them within the rim of the wheel.

In the Lady Chapel I work on many small square canvases that take half a day. I like the round windows where pieces of blue, ruby, and tobacco yellow and medieval glass clear with bubbles make the shape of four petal flowers.

Andrea McLean was born in 1968, and was educated at Cheltenham School of Art (1986-7); Falmouth School of Art (1987-90) and the Slade School of Art, London (1992-4). Andrea was awarded the Slade Bursary in 1994 and held the Abbey Scholarship in Painting at The British School at Rome (1994-5). Andrea was an Award Winner in the Cheltenham Open Drawing Exhibition in 1997 and the Royal Academy Summer Show in 1998. Andrea has had a solo exhibition A Vision of a Wolf on Kingsland High Street at Art Space Gallery, London (2000). Group exhibitions include the Hunting Art Prizes, London (2002); A Garden of Earthly Delights, Art Space Gallery, London (2001-2); Royal Academy Summer Shows (2001, 2000,1999, 1998, 1997); Royal West of England Autumn Exhibition (2001); 5th Mondiale Print Triennale, Galerie d'Art Contemporian de Chamelieres, France; Barbican Library Exhibition, Barbican Centre, London; Sinji vrh, Slovenia (1999); Royal Over Seas League Annual exhibition, London, Manchester & Edinburgh (1999); Journey Across the Sky, Sutton House, London (1996); Making a Mark, Mall Galleries, London (1995) and Mostra, British School at Rome (1994).