Biography

Polly Farrell studied art at college but remained an amateur artist while she pursued a career in management. From Crawley in Sussex, Polly always wanted to live by the sea and eventually moved to Saltdean, just outside Brighton, selling paintings, prints, cards and hand-painted glass/ceramic ware. She opened a studio and gallery at her home in 2019, where she has a clear view of the sea when she is creating. She obtained a Masters Degree in Fine Art from the University of Brighton in 2024.

Because of Polly's lifelong interest in people, she particularly enjoys figure and portrait work and tries to tell stories in her paintings.  She is inspired by Jenny Saville, Lucien Freud, Kathe Kollwitz, Tamara de Lempicka and Joan Eardley to name a few. She has recently begun to develop into print-making, with both lino cut and screen prints amongst her work.

Polly has always loved art deco and art nouveau genres and she has been fascinated by stained glass and the beauty of light shining through it since she was a child. Some of her work is colourful, art deco inspired, often with faux stained-glass backgrounds. 

Polly has produced the artwork for  CD inlays and in 2021 won a commission with the University of Sussex for the EXS Journal 10th anniversary exhibition. Polly has taken part in a number of exhibitions including the ONCA Gallery, Brighton, Fishing Quarter Gallery, Brighton and The Grange Gallery, Rottingdean. She is a volunteer steward at the Grange Gallery and also volunteers with Rocket Artists, an organisation that enables people with autism and other communication barriers to practice art.

At her studio, Polly teaches beginner classes in drawing, glass painting & ceramic painting, utilising her 30 years of experience in training. She also runs an inclusive local art club to give people the opportunity to be creative and social in a fun environment.