Artist bio

With a maker for a father and a mother whose pockets are perpetually stuffed with foraged seeds, it's only to be expected Polla would end up as a creative inspired by nature. 

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She has a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Western Australia, studied interior design and has also worked for many years as a graphic designer for screen printing and print media. She is a member of NAVA (National Association of Visual Artists) and the prestigious Watercolour Society of WA. In an interesting career twist, she is also a qualified Personal Fitness Trainer as it does the body good to get out from behind the easel sometimes.

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Her early work was mainly in the medium of bold-coloured acrylic, with subjects revolving around commercialism and pop culture.  

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Following the sudden, tragic loss of her 31 year old partner of 15 years in 2009, only months after the birth of their first child, she stopped painting.  A year later she started again, attempting to heal and reclaim her life by reaching back to her roots in nature, this time primarily in the delicate medium of watercolour. 

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Polla's representative style now expresses the simple joys of nature and and life as it surrounds and embraces her - still life, portraiture, animals, birds and flowers. After much time freelancing as a graphic designer and working as a commissioned artist, she has recently begun actively pursuing the development of her personal practice, with a number of interesting projects now bubbling away.

The world turning as it does, she now lives happily with her "second chance" husband and family on a small, rural property in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia, just beyond the outskirts of Perth. Her immediate surroundings are a constant source of inspiration. She embraces simple country life, aspires to Minimalism and enjoys exploring artistic possibilities whenever possible.