Julia Midgley

ELECTED ARWS 2017 & RWS 2019

Julia Midgley trained at Mid Cheshire College of Art & Design (1964 – 66), and Manchester College of Art & Design, now MMU (1966 -69). Her work is held in public, private, and corporate collections in the UK and abroad.

A frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition (12 occasions), she is the recipient of National awards for drawing, painting, and printmaking.  In 2016, examples of her work were shortlisted for the Derwent and Ruskin Drawing prizes.

Direct observational drawing provides the bedrock for her practice. Subject matter comes from sketchbooks whose pages reveal drawn snapshots of curiosities; and direct observations of live action.

Reportage or Documentary Drawing has become an important element of the studio output.  (Until retirement in 2013 Julia was Reader in Documentary Drawing at Liverpool School of Art & Design).

Medicine, movement, war art, human and animal anatomy are particular interests.  For example, “War Art & Surgery”, a WW1 Centenary drawing project,  documented military medical training and the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.

Reportage commissions/projects have found Julia surrounded by Vikings at Blackpool Pleasure Beach; standing in the press pen at Bechers Brook; working in archaeological trenches at Stonehenge; drawing in surgical operating theatres, and on board an EH 101 Merlin helicopter with the Tactical Medical Wing, RAF Brize Norton.

Her personal work often refers to horses and to art history.   She is currently engaged on a series of drawings to record Significant Equine skeletons.