20th July 2023

'My travels with sketchbook, camera and needle' by Polly Woolstone was very interesting being illustrated with a selection of her work. 

Polly went to Art college and studied illustration and graphics, as she did not want to be a commercial artist she decided to teach art. Whilst doing this she went on courses including creative textiles and developed this in schools.

 

 

It was only when Polly went on holiday that she had time to do any of her own work when she created many sketch books. In 2002 events led her to return to cycling, this and a book 'A Bike Ride' provoked a visit to Ireland. In order to develop a theatre at her school Polly started fund raising with a sponsored bike ride around Ireland.

 

 

Her next sponsored cycle ride was during a sabatical term when Polly went to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam ending the journey with 2 weeks in India.Throughout she recorded in a small concertina sketch book.

 

 

 

She fell 'in love' with India and returned several times including taking textile trips to India which resulted in experimentation and creation of her own work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polly uses sketch books to experiment with ideas /techniques, the temples and monuments in Myanmar, many in state of disrepair led to exploration of surfaces and texture through layering ( Fragments). 

She also makes use of free machine embroidery, an extension of drawing. 

Whispers in the wind - bird panel which is part of a series based on the Irish famine/deaths/emigration/cottages/words from songs/poems.  

 

 

 

Tide over pebbles