Andrea McLean studied fine art at Falmouth School of Art, Cornwall, UK, and postgraduate painting at The Slade School of Art, London, where she won an Abbey Scholarship year to the British School at Rome. She has had solo exhibitions in London, Bleddfa, Abergavenny and Great Torrington in Devon. She was Gloucester Cathedral’s Artist in Residence for a year and her group exhibitions include The Edge of Printing, Royal Academy Keeper’s House; Drawing Breath, Jerwood Prize touring exhibition; Flashback, Art Space Gallery, London; and Mapping Inspirations, Hereford Cathedral.
Andrea features in the book Paintings and Confessions by Tess Jaray RA. She has created a Golgonooza Map for the Blake Society and continues to make drawings and paintings about medieval maps and dream mythology in her studio in Ledbury, Herefordshire, UK. Andrea’s circular Mappa Mundi painting is in the British Library’s collection on display near the Map Room.
Solo Exhibitions
| 2023 | Mythos, The Sanctuary Gallery, Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire |
| 2021 | Traherne Talk & Artwork Display, Civic Society, Ledbury |
| 2019 | The Dream-Map & The Reflective Landscape, The Art Shop and Chapel, Abergavenny |
| 2018 | Imaging Maps & Painting Dreams, The Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington, Devon |
| 2016 | Creative in Residence Exhibition, Hereford College of Arts |
| Artwork Display at the Thomas Traherne Festival, Credenhill | |
| 2015 | Yarpole Bell Tower Residency Exhibition |
| 2014 | Sir Terry Frost Gallery, King's School, Worcester |
| 2012 | Paintings and Etchings, Shell House Gallery, Ledbury |
| 2011 | The Tree of Jesse, Abergavenny Arts and Music Festival |
| 2010 | The Bleddfa Centre, Wales |
| 2004 | Turning World, Art Space Gallery, London |
| Bell Wheels, Rochester Art Gallery | |
| Mapping the Place of the Wolf, Bleddfa Art Centre, Wales | |
| Jesse Tree, St Mary’s Priory Church and The Art Shop, Abergavenny | |
| 2002 | The Flower of All Cities, Art Space Gallery, London |
| The Flower of All Cities, Gloucester Cathedral | |
| The Flower of All Cities, Works on Paper, Gloucester City Museum and Art Gallery | |
| 2000 | A Vision of a Wolf on Kingsland High Street, Art Space Gallery, London |
| 1999 | Barbican Library Exhibition, Barbican Centre, London |
| 1996 | Journey across the Sky, Sutton House London |
| 1995 | Mostra, British School at Rome |
Group Exhibitions
| 2023 | Spirit of Fire, Pentecost Exhibition, Kingsland Church, Herefordshire |
| 2022 | Shield of Achilles, Herefordshire Art Week, Aardvark Books, Brampton Bryan |
| 2020 | Eden, Restoring Paradise, Garden's Gallery, Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham |
| 2019 | Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition |
| Thomas Traherne Festival exhibition, All Saints, Hereford | |
| Gardens & Hedgerows Summer Exhibition, The Art Shop, Abergavenny | |
| Sumer is a-Cumin in Blue Ginger Gallery, Cradley | |
| 2018 | Gardens & Hedgerows The Art Shop and Chapel, Abergavenny |
| Good and Bad Government Thames-side studios gallery, London | |
| 2017 | Mapping Inspirations Mappa Mundi Museum, Hereford Cathedral |
| 2016 | The Edge of Printing, curated by Tess Jaray RA, Keeper's House, Royal Academy of Arts |
| 2012 | Royal Academy Summer Exhibition |
| 2011 | Opening exhibition, The Shell House Gallery, Ledbury |
| Flashback, Art Space Gallery, London | |
| Summer exhibition, The Art Shop and Gallery, Abergavenny | |
| 2010 | Malvern Library Gallery – Unsung Heroes Part two |
| 2009 | Unsung Heroes, The Courtyard Theatre and Art Centre, Hereford |
| Cragie Aitchison and Supporting Artists, The Art Shop, Abergavenny | |
| Artist in the Garden, The Art Shop, Abergavenny | |
| Herefordshire Art Week, Open Studios event | |
| 2008 | A Contemporary Mappa Mundi, The British Library |
| All We See is Vision, The Burgage Hall, Ledbury Poetry Festival | |
| 2007 | Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, also 2004, ‘03, ‘02, ‘01, 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1997 |
| Jerwood Drawing Prize Exhibition, Drawing Breath | |
| The Blake Birthday Book, The House of William Blake, London | |
| 2006 | Art for Amnesty, Ledbury, Herefordshire |
| 2005 | Landscape and Topography, Hereford City Art Gallery and Museum |
| 2004 | New York Field, the lab gallery, Lexington Avenue, NY, USA |
| Hereford Art Week, Queenswood Arboretum | |
| The River, Falmouth Art Gallery, Cornwall | |
| With magic in my eyes, Museum of Modern Art, Wales | |
| Visions of London, Art Space Gallery, London | |
| Paintings in Hospitals, 50th Anniversary Exhibition, Fosterart, Shoreditch, London | |
| Paintings, Capel-y-finn, Hay Festival of Literature fringe event, also 2003 | |
| Presteigne Annual Exhibition, Powys, Wales | |
| 2003 | Singer & Friedlander/Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, London and Manchester |
| A Book of Maps, Dennis Potter Room, Ross-on-Wye Public Gallery | |
| 2002 | Draw-in, A Festival of Drawing in Gloucestershire, Gloucester City Museum and Art Gallery |
| Artistree, Ledbury Poetry Festival | |
| Hunting Art Prizes, Royal College of Art, London | |
| 2001 | Garden of Earthly Delights, Art Space Gallery, London |
| 149th Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol | |
| 2000 | Blake’s Heaven: A Tribute to William Blake, Scolar Fine Art, London |
| 5th Mondiale Print Triennial, Galerie d’Art Contemporian de Chamalières, France | |
| Post-it Exhibition Royal Academy of Arts, London | |
| 1999 | Kulturni Centre Srecko, Senzana, Slovenia |
| Kulturni Centre Ivan Napotnik, Velenje, Slovenia. Mestni Muzeji Idrija | |
| 1998 | Royal Overseas League Annual Exhibition, London, Manchester & Edinburgh |
| Recent Graduates, Art Space Gallery, London. | |
| 1997 | Cheltenham Open Drawing Exhibition, Cheltenham, Lincolnshire and Humberside |
| 1995 | Making a Mark, Mall Galleries, London |
| 1994 | Doppleganger and In Vino Veritas, British School at Rome |
| 1992 | Foyer Exhibition, Business Design Centre, London |
| 1991 | Fresh Art, Business Design Centre, London |
Awards and Residencies
| 2020 | Andrea’s painting ‘A Contemporary Mappa Mundi’ on display at The British Library |
| 2015-16 | Creative in Residence at Hereford College of Arts |
| 2014 | Artist in Residence at Booth Bookshop during the Hay Festival |
| 2010 | Artist in Residence, The Bleddfa Centre, Powys |
| 2007 | ‘A Map of all Maps’, St Pancras Project, London |
| 2006 | Shortlisted for the John Moores 24, Liverpool biennial |
| 2005 | Artist-in-Residence, Hereford Cathedral |
| Finalist for the Prince of Wales Bursary for the Arts | |
| 2004 | Artist-in-Residence, Bleddfa Art Centre, Powys, Wales |
| 2003 | Shortlisted for the Royal Academy of Arts Charles Wollaston Award |
| 2002 | Artist-in-Residence, Gloucester Cathedral October 2001- September 2002 |
| 1999 | Artist-in-Residence, Sinji Vrh, Slovenia |
| 1998 | Prize Winner, Royal Academy of Arts |
| 1997 | Award winner, Cheltenham Open Drawing Exhibition |
| 1995 | Abbey Major Scholarship in Painting, British School at Rome |
| 1994 | Slade Bursary, University College London |
Lectures, Workshops and Teaching
Andrea become a Faculty tutor for the Royal Drawing School in 2020 where she teaches in Shoreditch London, and online.
| 2004 | Pari Centre speaker at conference-retreat 'Longing for Wholeness' |
| 2024 | MA Symposium Keynote Speaker, Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, Middlesex University London |
| 2024 | Faculty Tutor Royal Drawing School: 'Blake', 'Mapping', and 'Mythology' courses |
| 2023 | Faculty Tutor for the Royal Drawing School: 'Pilgrimage', 'Mythology', and 'Mapping' courses |
| 2022 | Tutor for 'Mapping : Internal Landscapes' online courses Royal Drawing School |
| 2022 | Tutor on 'Mythologies : Drawing Narratives' online courses Royal Drawing School |
| 2020 | Day Tutor with slide talk 'Mapping within the Circle' Royal Drawing School, Shoreditch, London |
| 2019 | Illustrated Talk 'The Dream Map & The Reflective Landscape' The Chapel, Abergavenny |
| 2018 | Illustrated Talk 'The Celestial Stranger' Traherne Festival |
| 2017 | Fourteen week course 'Landscapes of the Imagination' in partnership with Dr Anna Stenning |
| 2016 | Illustrated talk, Traherne Association Festival, Credenhill |
| 2012 | Illustrated talk, 3rd July 2012 at Ledbury Poetry Festival |
| 2011 | Illustrated talk, 18th January 2011 at The Blake Society AGM, St Ann’s Reference Centre, London |
| 2010 | Began MA in Art, Health and Wellbeing, part time at Birmingham University |
| 2009 | Illustrated talk ‘Visionary Maps’, Herefordshire Art Week |
| 2008 | A series of workshops for the Herefordshire Parkinsons Society Painting Group |
| 2006 | Visiting Artist, Krishnamurti Foundation School of Art, Varanasi, India |
| 2005 | Artist’s Talk ‘A Contemporary Mappa Mundi’, Hereford Cathedral |
| 2004 | Two days of workshops for eight pupils of St Mary’s School, Rochester |
| 2003 | Public Lecture, Cheltenham, University of Gloucestershire |
| 2002 | One term of part time teaching of first year degree students, Cheltenham |
| 2001 | One day workshop at The Museum of Childhood, London |
| short presentation at the opening of 'The Edge of Printing' RA | |
| Qualified for NAPA Provision of Activities in a Care Setting diploma | |
| Illustrated talk ‘The Therapeutic Nature of Painting’, MDF bipolar group, Hereford | |
| Gallery talk and discussion ‘The Creative Process’, The Bleddfa Centre | |
| Took part in the filming of the BBC4 series ‘The Art of Maps’ | |
| An weekly art class for the ABI (acquired brain injury) unit of Ledbury Community Hospital | |
| Talk for students at Hereford Art College | |
| Talk for two groups of year 10 pupils at Elsdale School, Hereford | |
| Slide Talk, Rochester Art Gallery | |
| Slide Talk and discussion with Dr David Brancaleone, The Angel, Abergavenny | |
| Slide Talk for Foundation Course students, Cheltenham Art School | |
| Artist’s Talk, Gloucester Cathedral | |
| A weekly workshop for a term at the Widden Family Centre, Gloucester | |
| Public Lecture, Cheltenham Art School | |
| Visiting Artist, Slade School of Art, London |
Qualifications
| 2015 | MA Art, Health & Well-Being | Birmingham School of Art & Design | |
| 1994 | Postgraduate Painting | Slade School of Art | |
| 1991 | BA Fine Art | Falmouth School of Art | |
| 2017 | Teaching Certificate - FE | Herefordshire & Ludlow College/Warwick University |
Public Collections
The British Library
The Bleddfa Centre
Central Books, London
The British School at Rome