About

Where Polly's story began

Initially taking art classes during her secondary schooling, Polly did not consider the visual arts a professional pursuit, until adulthood. It was only once she finished homeschooling her daughters, that she gained the opportunity to pursue painting.

Polly has spent much of her life immersed in the Australian outback, west of Bourke, NSW. Her love of aerial landscapes began while viewing the sparseness of the outback from a light aircraft above their property, surrounded by the magnificent colours of reds, golds, ochres and blue skies.

Polly held her first solo exhibition titled ‘The Banks of the Darling River’ in 1989 at the ‘Akuna’ Gallery in Louth. Since then, she has exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions throughout Australia. She has participated in Affordable Art Fairs for six years, with her work exhibited across Australia and internationally, as well as in regional galleries.

Polly and her husband now reside in Forster on the Mid North Coast of NSW, where her time is shared between painting and spending time with friends and family.

Special awards and recognition

2023: Finalist - Heart of the Bush (Goondiwindi)
2023: Finalist - Facets of Fairholme (Toowoomba)
2022: Won - Open Section (Goondiwindi)
2019: Won - Facets of Fairholme (Toowoomba)
2017: Finalist - Women’s Australian Art Prize (Normanhurst)
2016: Finalist - Pro Hart Outback Art Prize (Broken Hill Regional Gallery)

Bringing the outback to life

Having viewed the landscape of her property west of Bourke many times from a light aircraft, it is this recollection along with the use of a drone, sketches created on site and back up photographs, that makes the foundation of her paintings. Whilst her work represents real places, it is her impression and memory that guides them most.

Polly’s technique for her large scale paintings is to use big organic brush strokes to create movement, perspective and angles. Using acrylic, she builds up layers of vivid colour and texture, often finishing with a palette knife.

Her focus is on painting a great sense of depth, stretching out to the horizon - A feature that appears strongly throughout her work.