About the Artist

Pauline Bewick was born in Northumbria on 4 September 1935. The formative influence on Pauline’s early life was her mother, Alice ‘Harry’ Graham Bewick, who, after her husband died of alcoholism in 1938, left Northumbria to start a new life in Ireland, bringing Pauline and her older sister Hazel to Kenmare, a small town in county Kerry. There, she fostered two orphaned children, Lucy and Michael. They lived together for six years on an isolated farm, a story beautifully told in Harry’s book “A Wild Taste”.

Harry always encouraged the children to paint and draw, and at the age of 2½, Pauline did her first pencil sketches, progressing within a few years to oils and other media. Those early works survive; Harry kept them in a battered suitcase throughout their travels, and the works are now a part of Pauline’s “Seven Ages Collections”, which she donated to the Irish State in 2006.

When the family moved from Kerry, they lived briefly in Northern Ireland, before enrolling Pauline for progressive schooling in England, then in Wales. Later, while living in a houseboat on the Kennet and Avon Canal, Pauline painted prolifically instead of doing her homework, which she found difficult due to her dyslexia.

They returned to Ireland in 1949, living first in Cork, then returning to Kerry. In 1950 Pauline went to study at the National College of Art in Dublin. While there, she met Pat Melia, a young medical student, with whom she formed a lifelong relationship. They enjoyed a vibrant, creative and cultural life. Pauline was commissioned to illustrate books and magazines, she sang in a nightclub, and became a set designer and actress with the famous Pike Theatre.

She had her first exhibition in 1957 in the Clog Gallery, Dublin. After moving to London, she successfully exhibited her paintings at the Leicester Galleries, and the Piccadilly Galleries. BBC Television commissioned Pauline to write and illustrate a series of ten-minute children’s programs called “Little Jimmy”. Following her successes, Pauline spend time travelling through Greece and around the Mediterranean, sketching and painting.

Travels & Inspirations

From her tranquil home, Pauline has travelled to many corners of the world to explore people, places, and cultures; she doesn’t believe in flying visits, instead  immersing herself in the local culture so that her eyes and mind are in tune with her surroundings. It is widely known that no matter what country or culture she portrays, the local people are always impressed with how ‘she got it right’ - through Pauline’s eyes she has the gift to see life through their eyes.

After almost 50 years living in Kerry, Pauline continues to gain inspiration from Glenbeigh, its people, flora, and fauna. The rare Natterjack Toad has appeared in numerous works; the geese that roamed Pauline’s garden occasionally fly onto the canvas, as does the graceful Bewick Swan. The wonderful Silver Birch and Montbretia, growing beside her studio, regularly appear. The oak trees near Blackstones Bridge at Lickeen, blooming rhododendrons, a pair of magpies on a magnolia tree in her garden, a wild mountain goat, a horse eating furze – common everyday things to the fleeting eye, are often the centrepiece of some of her finest works. For anyone lucky enough to spend time in Pauline’s studio, it is truly a special and unique place to experience creativity and life. There is always work in progress - a watercolour on handmade paper on the easel, a sketch for her next piece of glasswork, on the couch next to the wood stove - the next draft of a book.  

On turning 70, Pauline donated 500 pieces of her life’s work to the Irish Nation. The Seven Ages Collection represents each decade and facet of a woman’s life. They are on permanent display in Kerry and Waterford, while a further collection of 250 pieces are available to exhibit worldwide.

To this day Pauline’s artistic work is central to her life. She remains rooted in the present, is always open to new artistic challenges, and most importantly – continues to create unique artwork for all to enjoy.