Poppy
James
Poppy went to Bristol Art College (now University of West of
England) and left with a first class honours degree. While there
she did a lot of printmaking but since then has concentrated
on painting. Poppy has taught drawing and painting for 8 years
and in 2006 executed a commission of 8 paintings for a hotel
in Exeter. Poppy has a studio space at Bath Artists’ Studios
and is a member of Bath Society of Artists
ARTIST STATEMENT
Poppy’s
atmospheric images are simplified and distilled to embody
an essential sense of place. They vary from being dreamy and
contemplative to dark and moody. Poppy works within that ancient
and broad tradition of looking at a landscape, drawing, making
colour notes and combines this with digital photography. The
image is then made later in her studio. Compositions which
have a strong abstract quality are chosen to for the possibility
of dividing the picture plane horizontally into unequal bands
of paint intersected by occasional verticals. Most compositions
involve water and are often executed on a coloured ground.
Poppy prepares her supports herself usually preferring the
irregular surface of muslin or some ‘found’ and
quirky support to the perfect canvas. She uses the traditional
media of oil, acrylic and particularly egg tempera. The purity
of egg tempera is attractive and the possibility of building
up layers quickly, as well as the fact that the paint can
be opaque or deliciously ephemeral. For the tempera she uses
traditional gesso panels but her work is unlike most tempera
painters because she exploits the flowing nature of this watery
medium. She is fascinated and excited by the support surface
which she finds almost as inspiring as the subject matter.
She is at her best experimenting with the possibilities of
traditional media and playing with paint on sometimes unusual
surfaces, in unusual ways and often with unusual results.
LIST OF
EXHIBITIONS SINCE 2002
2009 ING
Discerning Eye, 2 pieces selected
2009 RWA Autumn Open Exhibition
2009 Bath Society of Artists Summer Exhibition
2009 Bath Society of Artists Members Only Exhibition
2008 ING Discerning Eye, 3 pieces selected
2008 Bath Society of Artists Summer Exhibition
2008 Royal Academy Summer Show
2008 Solo Exhibition at Bath Artists’ Studios
2008 Keynsham Art Trail
2007 ING Discerning Eye, 1 piece selected
2007 RWA Autumn Open Exhibition
2007 Keynsham Art Trail
2007 BANA Group Exhibition
2007 Bath Society of Artists Summer Exhibition
2006 Exhibition of Paintings at Raphael Restaurant, Bath
2005 RWA Autumn Open Exhibition
2005 BANA Group Exhibition
2005 Quartz Festival, Taunton
2005 Chew Valley Arts Trail
2005 Queen Charlton Arts Trail
2005 Bath Society of Artists Summer Exhibition
2004 Chew Valley Arts Trail
2004 RWA Autumn Open Exhibition
2003 R Buchelli Gallery and Workshop, Group Exhibition Bath
2003 RWA Autumn Open Exhibition
2003 Friends of RWA Annual Exhibition
2003 Bath Society of Artists Summer Exhibition
2002 RWA Autumn Open Exhibition
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