Polly Horner

Polly Horner | Illustrator

"Polly Horner...combines truth and magic in a strange and striking way" Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times.

Polly Horner was born in Dorking Surrey and grew up on the borders of Epping Forest in Essex. After graduating from Chelsea School of Art with a BA Honours Degree. She worked in art galleries over a period of 15 years in New York and Paris and London but was always also committed to her own work of drawing and illustration, and her illustrations have been selected for the Association of Illustrators, the House of Fairy Tales and The Art of Illustration.

Her first children’s book, 'Polly and the North Star', published by Orion won the BOOKTRUST Early Years Award for Best New Illustrator. Other published works include commission as the sole illustrator for Laurence King Publishing (now Hachette UK) and MAGMA London for a series of successful print products sold and distributed world-wide in bookshops and museums, including: DOG BINGO, DOGS BEST IN SHOW and CATS BEST IN SHOW and in 2021, 'DO YOU KNOW YOUR DOGS?'

Most recently, in 2023, Polly was a featured children’s author/illustrator at The Wealden Literary Festival with her latest book, Colour Bird, a children’s picture book that helps them to learn about colour and aims to show the light and beauty within the young readers themselves, something Polly cares about deeply.

Polly is currently working on a book about bereavement for children and re visiting her collaboration on a picture book with the French Film maker, poet and writer, Denys Colomb de Daunant (White Mane, 1953).

"I love the process of writing and illustrating picture books. Magic happens. Sometimes ideas for a story come from something someone says or something I see. Sometimes it is inspired by someone's character or a child's circumstances. My first Picture book, Polly and the North Star came from a childhood memory. At least that is where it began. Sometimes ideas come into my mind like gifts from another place. I can see the story in its entirety, like a picture."

Polly Horner, 2023

Works

Hector And The Birds

original watercolour, gouache, pencil and ink - £500 Also available as an unframed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £105

Rye Harbour

original watercolour, gouache, pencil and ink - £1,050 Also available as an unframed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £105

Polly Horner, original watercolour, gouache, pencil and ink - £650 Also available as an unframed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper, Hector And The Butterflies

Hector And The Butterflies

original watercolour, gouache, pencil and ink - £650 Also available as an unframed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £105

Polly Horner, original watercolour, gouache, pencil and ink - £850 Also available as an unframed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper, Albert Tiger And Owl

Albert Tiger And Owl

original watercolour, gouache, pencil and ink - £850 Also available as an unframed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £105

Hector And The Sun

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £195, also available unframed £95

You're Always In My Heart

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

The Magic Bunkbed

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £220, also available unframed £105

Polly Horner, Billy and the Magic Boat, framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £195, also available unframed £95

Billy and the Magic Star Boat

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £220, also available unframed £105

Decorating the Christmas Tree

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning, print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

Polly And Sirius

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

Polly Horner, Night Picnic With Daddy, framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - also available unframed

Starlight Picnic With Daddy

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

It was the North Star shining down on a clearing in the Forest

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

Picnic With The Polar Bears

watercolour, gouache, pencil & ink - £800

Also available as a framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £220, also available unframed £105

The Magic Forest

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

Welcome Home

framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £200, also available unframed £105

When she opened her eyes again, Polly was standing in a raging blizzard

watercolour, gouache, pencil and ink - £800

Also available as a framed print on Hahnemuhle ‘Photo Rag’ 308gsm archival print paper - £220, also available unframed £105