At work with: Polly Fern

I studied Illustration at university and in my final year started creating ceramics. I wanted to use tiles, vessels and platters as a different way of depicting a story. I would share my work on Instagram and use it as a kind of sketchbook. I began to receive enquiries from people about purchasing works, so I opened up a simple online shop where I would sell my paintings and prints. Upon graduating, I went straight into freelancing in illustration and then joined the ceramic studio. I was commissioned by an antiques magazine to illustrate a monthly article during which time I kept developing my work process. Once I felt happy with the ceramics I had been producing, I started to sell them online. It’s evolved from there and now I have a ceramic studio in my garden that my boyfriend and I built when we moved into our home last year. I’m continually working on illustration commissions, collaborations and I did my first pop-up shop at Pentreath & Hall last October.

My main daily ritual that never changes is when I get up in the morning I always feed my canaries and let them out for some exercise and a fly around before getting on with my day.

I look in so many different places, whether this is the shape of an antique plate, vase, piece of furniture or picking out a detail in the facade of a building. I love discovering local garden stories and illustrating elements of them upon my ceramics. There are many traditional techniques in the history of ceramics that I find inspiring. I love to merge different techniques together such as relief detailing, slip trailing and paper resist.

I would love to visit some places I have really enjoyed previously, such as beautiful Sicily or my boyfriends family in France. I work a lot with a company in Japan, so I would really like to visit there, hopefully soon!

I have purchased a book to read in lockdown but I am yet to even pick it up! These weeks have been taken over by work and house projects. I’ve really enjoyed spending this time to do creative crafts that I would never usually have time to do, such as quilting or embroidering a tablecloth. I’ve also learnt how to wallpaper and have done my landing in some of my own designs!

Yes I would say so. I try to reclaim clay where I can and use the least amount of water as possible when creating my work. I always make sure my kiln is filled up to the brim before I put any firings on. I am very conscious about sustainability and doing my bit where I possibly can.

Light – Sun & Wild Citrus as it reminds me of those long summer days. I love a combination of musky but fresh citrus scents, and I’m obsessed with bergamot.

Follow Polly on Instagram
@pollyfern