Journal
Polly Fern describes herself as a freelance illustrator, ceramicist and canary keeper! With a keen interest in nature, art and music Polly Fern’s creativity flourished from an early age whilst growing up in rural Norfolk. Studying art and design at Great Yarmouth College, she immersed herself in creating, and in particular drawing.
Unaware that being an ‘Illustrator’ could actually be a profession, she enrolled on a fine art degree course, but when a friend pointed her in the direction of an Illustration course instead she found the impetus to translate all her ideas across several mediums.
This drawing based course allowed her the opportunity to explore other areas of making; one being ceramics. In her second year at university she joined a local ceramics studio, and has continued making ever since.
Starting her working career as a freelance illustrator and ceramicist; over the past 9 years her business has grown. She now designs and sells her own eponymous range of wallpapers, lampshades, ceramics and homewares.
Polly has always taken an interest in discovering local stories and as such her designs use traditional English motifs with a whimsical quality; “whether that is the story of a garden, the history of a building or folk tales. I’ve always had a keen interest in antiques, and collecting ceramics. These pieces I collect often influence the way I might design or decorate one of my ‘Romantic’ platters or vases. I also look for inspiration for my ceramic shapes in unexpected places too, such as architecture or furniture design.”
Guild Anderson base the delivery of work around three factors; personal service, professionalism and empathy, something that Polly feels strongly about too. Having started her brand from scratch she still works alone, but thrives from personal interactions with her customers. “I enjoy emailing and sharing stories. This is really important to me, to maintain that relationship with my customers. Also to make people happy and enjoy their environment through objects or decoration in their surroundings. I also think it is quite powerful to be able to create an object that people can relate to, or that may remind them of loved ones or cherished memories.” You can see this sense of connection, nostalgia and story-telling through many of her designs.
Naturally as her business has developed, her role has had to adapt. “In the early days, I had endless energy, coming up with new ideas and spending the majority of my time making them. As my company has grown I have had to dedicate a lot more of my time to other areas of the business, rather than just being creative. Not having any employees means I have to juggle and wear many different hats within my business, which can prove challenging.”
Polly established her studio in 2015 upon graduating with a degree in Illustration. Working across multiple disciplines, Polly’s work spans from ceramics, illustrating for magazines and books to jewellery and interiors.
More recently Polly has moved into a new studio and showroom; a 17th-century building in the market town of Bungay that she has renovated. Having worked from home for nearly 10 years this new space will provide more opportunity to focus on the creative side of her business; focusing more on making new work. It feels like a “a much-needed breath of fresh air”.
For those seeking contemporary designs with a traditional twist, Polly’s brand is developing quite a following (103k Instagram followers) in the UK; internationally she also has a strong connection. Polly is recognised in Asia and USA for her playful British handwriting, and has worked with Tonkachi in Japan for many years. “They represent my work in Asia, have held exhibitions of my work, and have found companies to collaborate with to create products such as washi tape, glasses and wristwatches! I also work with a company in Georgia USA, called Provvista. They create timeless dinnerware with the vision for them to one day become heirlooms.”
She goes on to say that she loves “working on collaborations with other small companies, it’s lovely to explore their method of making work and to showcase my designs on surfaces that I wouldn’t usually have the resources or time to do myself.” Later this year she has a tile collaboration collection coming out with Storytiles who are based in Holland.
One of her early designs for wallpaper “Diamond Tulip” still remains one of the most sought after. With its bold tulip motif and painterly effect, it represents her style and brand beautifully. Creating a collection of “Romantic” vases and platters 4-5 times per year; she continues to develop her designs on to other surfaces; with plans to expand in to fabrics and possibly rugs.
When asked about other areas that she would consider designing for; enthusiastically she replied
“Yes! So many. I thrive off learning new skills and creating through my hands. I would definitely like to design lighting and furniture.”
Guild Anderson’s clients are often looking for help when choosing the paint colour for their cabinetry and Polly encourages them to look for a fabric or wallpaper as a starting point “I tend to choose the fabric/wallpaper first, then see what colours will work well with the design. However, I will always create lots of mood boards and save images and am not afraid to change my choices if I think another colour or pattern would work better together, or in a particular room.”
If you are afraid of print then Polly suggests “maybe trying out something subtle such as cushions, fabrics or curtains. I also love a small wallpapered space that has a patterned print. Such as a little cloakroom or a landing space.” She goes on to say that “I like to use multiple prints, but I always try to mix the scale of the prints so that nothing is too ‘matchy’. I think it creates more depth this way.”
Taking inspiration from antique china and dinner sets, Polly is inspired by the many visible layers of time that one can witness in a period property or in an antique piece. For anyone taking on a project for a period home she says; “I find a mixture or contemporary and traditional creates a very wholesome and inviting space. I don’t tend to like making rules, I think life is too short to worry too much about mixing the old and new – I would always say to just have what you enjoy and what makes you happy! It’s very important to respect architectural heritage and the story of a building for the short time in which we inhabit these spaces.”
Polly’s own kitchen has been built by her father, also a cabinet maker. As the room, by Polly’s own admission is “absolutely tiny” he has created a kitchen using every inch of space possible. “We don’t have many appliances due to the space limitations, but I would say I couldn’t be without my toaster – I love toast!”
Polly’s work is inspiring, uplifting and full of character. If you would like to work with her, collaborate or enquire about a commission please get in contact via the options below;
