About
Polly studied Art History at the University of St Andrews (2012) and developed a regular painting practice while on her first maternity leave in 2020. She began selling her work in 2021 and in 2022 made painting her sole occupation. Polly lives in North Somerset, just outside Bristol, UK and her semi-abstract paintings explore landscape; a theme in which she finds a source of connection, solace and escapism. Her paintings sit in collections around the world, including in Europe, USA, Australia, and Africa and Polly is represented by a handful of select UK galleries. She received the Lady Hamlyn Award for painting in Chelsea Arts Society’s 74th Annual Exhibition in 2023.
Polly works in oils and responds to the paint and mark-making intuitively, allowing the paint to have a say in the direction of the work through chance accidents and gestural mark making. Her paintings build up in layers, and through colour, free and loose compositions and exploring light and texture, she seeks to express the pleasure one feels by simply being outside.
Current/ forthcoming Exhibitions:
Royal Western Academy, 173rd Annual Open, September 12th - January 3rd 2027
Cambridge Contemporary Art, Duo Show, April 2027
Previous Exhibitions:
Cricket Fine Art, Summer Exhibiton, 2026
Mayne Gallery, Whitsun Exhibition, May 2026
Cambridge Contemporary Art, Mixed Summer Exhibition, July 11th - August 9th 2026
Emily Hadley/ No 13 Gallery, Open Gallery, Saturday May 2nd 2026
Affordable Art Fair, (London) with Mayne Gallery, March 4 - 8th 2026
Cricket Fine Art, ‘40 Christmas Present Ideas’, December 2025
The White Gallery, (Cotswolds), Indian Summer, commencing October 17th 2025
Cambridge Contemporary Art, ‘Mixed Winter Exhibition’ 15th November 2025 - 11th January 2026
Mayne Gallery, (Devon), ‘Gathering’, October 2025
Emily Hadley/ No 13 Gallery (Devon) Devon Open Studios September 2025
Cricket Fine Art (Hungerford/ London) ‘Summer Exhibition’ 15th July - 29th August 2025
Cambridge Contemporary Art, ‘Summer Exhibition’ 12th July - 7th September 2025
Mayne Gallery, (Devon)‘Resonance; where different voices echo the same land’ (duo show)startsJune 28th 2025
Cambridge Contemporary Art, ‘These Gentle Lands’ (duo show) 6th - 29th June 2025
Emily Hadley, (17 Midland Rd, Bristol) ‘Dive’ curated by Emily Hadley and Suze Riley, 25th - 29th June 2025
Chelsea Arts Society, (Chelsea, London), 76th Annual Summer Open Exhibition, 18th - 23rd June
Cricket Fine Art, (Hungerford/ London) ‘55 Christmas Present Ideas for under £2000’ 30th November - 31st December 2024
Cambridge Contemporary Art, ‘Mixed Winter Show’ November 2024 - January 2025
The Brownston Gallery, (Modbury, Devon) ‘The Winter Exhibition’ 23rd November - 21st December 2024
Open Studio (at home, Long Ashton, Bristol) Sunday 1st December 2024
Cricket Fine Art, (Hungerford/ London) October 2024
The Square Club (Bristol) Solo Exhibition, August - October 2024
Cambridge Contemporary Art (Cambridge) ‘Summer Exhibition’, June 15th - 1st September 2024
The Brownston Gallery (Modbury), ‘The Light Beneath’ 24th May - July 31 2024
Domenica Marland (London) Spring 2024
Silson Contemporary (Harrogate) Spring Show 2024 (January - April 2024)
The Gallery at Green and Stone (Fulham, London) Works on Paper 2024 (January 2024)
The Russell Gallery (Putney, London) Christmas Show (November 2023 - January 2024)
Style Your Spaces (Edinburgh) November Art Drop, November 2023
Open Studio (at home, Long Ashton, Bristol) Saturday October 28th 2023
The Other Art Fair (London) October 12th - 15th 2023
The Paragon (Cheltenham) 10 Year Anniversary Show, Summer 2023
The Russell Gallery (London) Mixed Summer Show, June - September 2nd 2023
Emily Hadley (Totnes, Devon), ongoing representation from summer 2023
Limekiln Gallery (Calstock, Cornwall) Spring/ Summer Show 2023, 25th March - 1st July 2023
Chelsea Art Society 74th Annual Exhibition (London), June 2023 WINNER of the Lady Hamlyn prize
The Square Club (Bristol) Solo show, May - August 2022
The Other Art Fair (London) October 14th - 17th 2021
The Art Cohort (Bath), Solo show, September 2021
The Art Cohort (Bath), Summer Open Show, August 2021