Biography, Exhibitions & Reviews


BIOGRAPHY

Julia Alexandra Mee began her artistic training under the guidance of her father, the painter and ceramicist Raymond Victor Mee (1945-2006). Following a Foundation in Art and Design, a BA Hons degree in History of Art and Architecture and a Masters in the History of Drawing and several collective exhibitions she moved to Florence, enrolling at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, where she was later awarded a first with a distinction in Painting (110 e lode), on the presentation of her thesis on Spirit Fresco.

In Italy she began her career as a lecturer in History of Art and Architecture and as a fresco painter, before moving to Edinburgh in 2013, working from her studio at WASPS Artist's Studios.  She specialises in traditional mural painting techniques, employing the techniques of buon fresco and ‘variants of spirit fresco’, working to commission. In 2017 she was commissioned to create and execute the Marchmont Mural Cycle in the Cupola Hall at Marchmont House. 

She has written articles on traditional mural painting techniques and has translated the book Encaustic Wall Painting: How to Execute an Encaustic Wall Painting on a Terracotta Support Following Recipes in Classical Sources by Sergio Paolo Diodato into English (Florence, Nardini Editore, 2014).  In 2016, she co-wrote the exhibition catalogue Raymond Victor Mee: La Dolce Vita, One Man’s Passion for the Magic of Tuscany, with Deirdre Anne Mee, and translated it into Italian (ed., Claudia Adami).

Julia is a Trustee for the Mansfield Traquair Trust which cares for the magnificent murals by Phoebe Anna Traquair at the Mansfield Traquair Centre, as well as a Guide and Committee Member for the Friends of the Mansfield Traquair Centre (for more information on pre-booked tours at the MTC, please visit their  website).  

She gives talks, workshops and demonstrations on traditional mural painting techniques and exhibits regularly in Great Britain and Italy, where a number of her art works are located in private collections.  Her talks and demonstrations include those given to the National Galleries of Scotland, National Museums of Scotland, the Friends of the Royal Scottish Academy, The Scottish Gallery, Italian Scottish Circle and Holyrood Art Club, Edinburgh.

EXHIBITIONS, FRESCO WORKSHOPS, TALKS & DEMONSTRATIONS

INSPIRING WOMEN ARTISTS - STUDY DAY 
April 9th 2022
Marchmont House, Berwickshire 

PRELUDE TO INSPIRING WOMEN ARTISTS - Online event
April 24th 2021
Marchmont House, Berwickshire 

PHOEBE ANNA TRAQUAIR'S MURAL CYCLE AT THE MANSFIELD TRAQUAIR CENTRE AND THE TECHNIQUE OF SPIRIT FRESCO AND ITS VARIANTS - Talk
November 2020
International Institute of Conservation - Biennial Congress, Mansfield Traquair Centre, Edinburgh (organised by Lesley Stevenson, Senior Conservator, National Galleries of Scotland)

A RENAISSANCE WOMAN ON A MISSION TO REVIVE THE ART OF FRESCO PAINTING
Webinar accompanying the exhibition MODERN MASTERS WOMEN
August 2020
Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh

PHOEBE ANNA TRAQUAIR AND HER LEGACY - Talk
(with Professor Elizabeth Cumming)
6th May 2020 (postponed due to Covid - date tbc)
British Institute, Florence

FRESH RENAISSANCE - FLORENCE, EDINBURGH AND THE ART OF PHOEBE ANNA TRAQUAIR -Talk 
(with Professor Nicola Gardini and Professor Elizabeth Cumming)
19th March 2020 (postponed due to Covid - date tbc)
Dept. of Italian Studies, University of Edinburgh

REVIVING THE TECHNIQUES OF PHOEBE ANNA TRAQUAIR AND HER CONTEMPORARIES AND THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY FLORENTINE 'BOTTEGA METHOD'
February 2020
National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh

SUMMER EXHIBITION - Collective
8th to 20th August 2019
Museo di Arte Sacra, Benabbio, Tuscany, Italy

EXHIBITION - OMAGGIO ALLA DONNA - Collective - Borgo degli Artisti
8th to 14th March 2019
Casinò Municipale, Bagni di Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

L'ARTE E TECNICA DELL'AFFRESCO - Talk
February 2019
Italian Circle, Edinburgh 

TECHNIQUE OF BUON FRESCO - TALK AND DEMONSTRATION 
Tuesday 3rd July 2018, 2-4 pm
Kirkcudbright Galleries, Scotland

EXHIBITION - 40 YEARS OF WASPS STUDIOS - Collective
9th June to 15th July 2018
Kirkcudbright Galleries, Scotland

EXHIBITION - ARTISTS AT WORK - Collective - NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND
12th May to September 2018
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh

EXHIBITION - OMAGGIO ALLA DONNA - Collective - Borgo degli Artisti
8th to 17th March 2018 
Casinò Municipale, Bagni di Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

FRESCO PAINTING - ONE DAY WORKSHOP
Sat 3rd February 2018
Riddle's Court, Edinburgh

SPIRIT FRESCO AND ITS VARIANTS IN THE NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND - Research Seminar
9th November 2017
National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh

FRESCO PAINTING - FIVE WEEK COURSE
5th November to 5th December 2017
Riddle's Court, Edinburgh

FRESCO PAINTING - ONE DAY WORKSHOP
25th June 2017, 10am to 4pm
Arts Complex, Edinburgh

EXHIBITION - METAMORPHOSIS/TRANSFORMATION - Collective - Syn Festival
9th - 22th March 2017 
Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh

EXHIBITION - OMAGGIO ALLA DONNA - Collective - Borgo degli Artisti
5th to 12th March 2017 
Casinò Municipale, Bagni di Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

ART OF FRESCO PAINTING - TALK AND DEMONSTRATION
3rd September 2016
Nicholson Museum & Art Gallery, Leek, Staffordshire

EXHIBITION - RAYMOND VICTOR MEE (1945-2006)
LA DOLCE VITA - ONE MAN'S PASSION FOR THE MAGIC OF TUSCANY
3rd September to 1st October 2016
Nicholson Museum & Art Gallery, Leek, Staffordshire

EXHIBITION - RAYMOND VICTOR MEE (1945-2006)
LA DOLCE VITA - LA PASSIONE DI UN UOMO PER LA MAGIA DELLA TOSCANA
11th to 25th June 2016
Sala Rosa, Circolo dei Forestieri, Bagni di Lucca, Italy

FRESCO PAINTING - TALK AND DEMONSTRATION
16th March 2016
Holyrood Art Club, Edinburgh

FRIENDS OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY - STUDIO VISIT 
DEMONSTRATION OF THE TECHNIQUE OF BUON FRESCO
October 2015
WASPS Albion Road Artist's Studios, Edinburgh

TECHNIQUE OF BUON FRESCO - DEMONSTRATION
September 2015
WASPS Albion Road Artist's Studios, Edinburgh

RSA ARTIST BITES: JULIA ALEXANDRA MEE AND THE TECHNIQUE OF BUON FRESCO
June 2015
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

EXHIBITION - OMAGGIO ALLA DONNA - Collective - Borgo degli Artisti
8th to 15th March 2013 
Casinò Municipale, Bagni di Lucca, Tuscany, Italy

EXHIBITION - LA NATIVITÀ NELL'ARTE - Collective
4th December 2010 to 9th January 2011
Lanciano, Chieti, Italy

EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS: JULIA ALEXANDRA MEE 
25th - 31st October 2009
Prato, Tuscany, Italy

FRESCO WORKSHOP: JULIA ALEXANDRA MEE 
October 2009
Prato, Tuscany, Italy

EXHIBITION - 'MOSTRA DI PITTURA E GRAFICA: JULIA MEE E ANDREA TOFANI'
17th to 29th August 2009
Marina di Castagneto Carducci, Tuscany, Italy

EXHIBITION - 'AFFRESCHI IN MOSTRA' - Collective
July 2009
Accademia, Florence, Italy

REVIEWS

2010 INTERVIEW: BBC Radio 'The Renaissance Woman'
BBC Reporter Stuart Fear meets Julia Mee to discuss her artistic roots and her passion for Fresco Painting. For the full interview: 

2010 INTERVIEW: 'Inspired by her famous father'
Journalist Liz Rowley talks to Julia Mee for the North Staffordshire Magazine (January 2010) about the influence her father had on her work, tracing her artistic developments, and looking at her latest solo exhibition which was held in October 2009, in Prato, Italy.

2009 INTERVIEW: '2 Minutes with Julia Mee'
For the full interview: