Local Artist to Display Work in Brussels!

Below is a press release outlining the recent success of local artist and art teacher Miriam Dowling. Many thanks to Ken Curran for sharing with us. 

Clontarf artist Miriam Dowling heads to Belgium this month to display her vast range Irish landscape paintings to an international audience.

Her work will feature at the Arthus Gallery in Brussels from May 18 to June 30. The Gallery was very impressed when they came across her work and so invited her to exhibit in the Belgium capital. This is her first international exhibition.

“I am very excited to exhibit in Brussels as it is a whole new audience for me. I also know that there are many Irish people living there so hopefully, it will give them some connection to home. Professionally this is my first exhibition internationally so my work will be exposed to a new audience which is very exciting,” says Miriam.

Miriam gave up her job as a dental nurse last year to work full-time as an artist and art teacher.  Much of her work features well-known landscapes nationwide.

“Last year, I gave up my dental nursing and set up my own business called The Art Nest in The Red Stables, Clontarf, teaching weekly art classes to Adults and Kids. The Art Nest is a nurturing relaxed environment where people of all ages and levels can come and express themselves artistically,” she says.

She has held two solo exhibitions of Irish landscapes, the most recent this month at the Red Stables, which was a huge success. 

“I started oil painting when I was 16 which would be unusual for a teenager to use oil paints. I went to an art class that was run by a well-known artist Harry Feeney. I learned a lot of techniques and skills from him.  After that, I went to do Fine Art in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art and Design and graduated in 2003. When I left college I had no idea how to make a career out of my art so I needed a job and became a Dental Nurse,” she says.

However, she always wanted to be an artist and painted at night time and held small exhibitions as she never wanted to lose her artistic side. “I always felt like I was an Artist and not a Dental Nurse”.

In February 2016 she completed a course for Artists on ‘How to make a career out of your art’ which gave her the confidence to become a full-time artist and art teacher.

“I am very excited about my exhibition in Brussels which gives me a fantastic opportunity to display my work to a brand new audience.”

Miriam’s work can be captured at www.miriamdowlingart.com.