Meet The Illustrator Capturing Irish Trad With A Modern Twist: Miles Reilly
Words: Rachel Hannon
Artwork: Miles Reilly
Words: Rachel Hannon
Artwork: Miles Reilly
Smithwick’s wants to connect with communities who are seeking out and re-inventing old Irish traditions. Irish artist and illustrator, Miles Reilly popped up on our radar following his collaborations with The Mary Wallopers. Last Christmas, Miles was commissioned by Smithwicks to capture the essence of Traditional Irish music as part of their new ‘Originals Find Originals’ campaign. Flying home from London, he bounced from pub to pub drawing Dublin’s bustling Trad scene. We caught up with Miles to discuss his approach to creativity and how he captures the spontaneous energy of trad music in his illustrations.
Who Is Miles Reilly?
What struck us about Miles’ work from the very start was his ability to bridge traditional Irish culture with a contemporary approach to painting and illustration. “From an early age I was captivated by comics – Asterix, Robert Crumb, The Shiznit by Bob Byrne.Growing up in Rialto, Dublin 8, with a French-Irish background – food and art took central place in our home. My parents had eclectic tastes. My friends had a major influence on me too – a mix of designers, artists and musicians.” Miles was influenced by his native Dublin, and enjoyed exploring and seeing Dublin’s hidden spaces. On reflection, this had a huge impact on his style and expression. “Ireland and Dublin in particular is such a good scene to grow up creatively in – especially in the 2010s when there were lots of creative spaces popping up. Obviously Dublin has its flaws- but due to its small scale you always are making new connections and learning new things.”
Moving to London, Miles attended the prestigious Royal Drawing School, developing a unique and distinct style by tirelessly honing his craft. His work is lively and expressive, often focusing on characters, faces, and fragments using quick lines with a fluidity that mimics the sound of trad itself. “When I first moved to London I went to weekly life-drawing classes and I think some of the blind-drawing techniques from that really altered my approach. I don’t want to be glued to my sketchbook ‘documenting’ – I want to be able to capture the moment and feel part of it.”
Miles brings his subjects to life creating an unstructured yet evocative approach to his illustrations. The spontaneity of his work captures a crossover between the two art forms of illustration and traditional Irish music itself. “I like to draw from life – on buses, at gigs, lunch breaks. Things tend to move fast and I’m always trying to find the best shorthand to articulate that boundless energy. That’s why drawing musicians is one of my favourite things. There’s so much movement and rhythm to capture and if I can even convey a glimpse of that energy, I feel like my job is done.
The Mary Wallopers
It was this approach to art-making that put Miles on a collision course with The Mary Wallopers whose lively and expressive music served as a perfect match for his pen. “During lockdown I was getting into caricatures and thought ‘The Mary Wallopers are a laugh – I’ll draw them.’ Then on one live stream they had an art competition – I sent a sketch of them looking a bit cock-eyed playing instruments and ended up with some pig stickers in the post. Later, Charles asked me to illustrate a songbook, and since then, I’ve been lucky enough to work on several projects with them. They have a really strong creative vision – they give me a lot of freedom but it’s always a collaboration which is a really enjoyable way to work.
Crucial to the strength of their ongoing collaboration is Miles’ ability to convey the experiential quality of a Mary Wallopers gig. His illustrations go beyond the music itself to distill the unique atmosphere of a trad session in full swing. “Obviously they are some craic – there’s nothing like being at a Wallopers gig. Some of my designs were inspired directly by the stuff going on – the lads backstage, staff working in turbo mode to pull pints and fans balancing pints on their heads! I still get a real pang of Irish pride seeing my t-shirt designs out in the wild!”
Bridging Traditions Through Art
Most recently, Miles was asked to design a t-shirt for Smithwick’s Sessions that encapsulates the vibrancy of Dublin’s Trad scene. Over Christmas, he visited various pubs in Dublin to immerse himself in intimate sessions. Nestled in cosy nooks, Miles digested the lively atmosphere of these sessions into a series of drawings. His illustrations are all done on the spot, which infuses them with ineffable energy and movement. The result of Miles’ immersive process is the logo for the Smithwick’s Sessions t-shirts, which will be worn by bartenders throughout Tradfest.
“The chosen illustration was inspired by a bar stool in Nancy Hands pub near Heuston Station. After much inspection of the pub and its fantastic old illustrations, my eyes were drawn to the bar stools and their patterned fabric. And huzzah -a design was born! This resulted in bespoke designs for t-shirts and stickers after my drawing marathon, which captured the variety of people, instruments, and vibes that can appear at any moment during a good session.”
Miles’ ability to blend traditional Irish culture with modern illustration have made him an invaluable part of a wider Irish cultural revival that spans everything from art and design through to music and food culture. His approach highlights the enduring relevance of Irish trad, bringing it to a contemporary audience.
“Irish traditional music is such a rich part of our culture connecting us to our history while bringing us together in the present. It feels more alive than ever in our culture and I’m excited to see what new iterations that will take. Whether it’s in a packed pub or a quiet session at home, trad music carries a sense of community and storytelling that’s timeless.”
Miles is hard at work getting his new website up and running: www.milesreilly.art. You can also check out Miles’ Instagram here.
Smithwick’s wants to connect with communities who are seeking out and re-inventing old Irish traditions. Follow their Instagram for more information and upcoming events.
