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In Close Contact

Pollyanna with a young tawny owl being reared in her wildlife hospital

Pollyanna’s work as a wildlife artist brought her into remarkably close contact with many birds and animals over the years. She always believed that sketching animals from life brought a unique realism and vitality to her work, allowing her to capture the character of her subjects.

For fifteen years she ran a licensed registered hospital for birds of prey, caring for and rehabilitating hundreds of patients back into the wild. During this time she also cared for foxes, squirrels, hares, hedgehogs, garden birds and many more creatures. Through her charitable Foundation she supported and visited many more wildlife sanctuaries, both in the UK and worldwide, giving her the opportunity to meet and paint the animals in their care.

She also travelled the world to paint exotic species in their natural habitats, sometimes coming very close to her subjects!

She commented “When I travel I am able to experience the natural world in all its beauty, danger and drama. It is only through this first hand study of animals and their habitats that I am able to paint in a way which communicates my love and respect for our remarkable, awe-inspiring but ultimately fragile world.”

Pollyanna’s daughter and business partner Anna-Louise travelled with her to record the expeditions photographically.

On this page you can see a small selection of photos of Pollyanna with the animals she so loved. The book ‘A Brush With Wildlife’ tells the story of the wildlife sanctuary which Pollyanna ran from her home for fifteen years. 

Kiki the cheetah casts an eye over Pollyanna's sketches in the Namibian bush
With a Red Fox in her wildife hospital
With a resident arctic fox in a wildlife sanctuary in Canada
At a cheetah sanctuary in South Africa
With Zooberon the kestrel - read his amazing story in the book
With a raccoon in a wildife sanctuary in North America
Sketching Angel the Barn owl for the BBC documentary 'Made in England'
Sketching in Transylvania - as a wolf looks on!
Pollyanna and Anna-Louise volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand
Sketching a tiger in a big cat sanctuary...
...while Anna-Louise helps to treat one of the patients - a tiger suffering from disptemper, which is usually fatal in big cats. We are pleased to say this tiger made a full recovery.
Anna-Louise Takes Kiki the cheetah for a walk in the African Bush in Namibia
Painting Mozart the Eagle owl at the National Bird of Prey Centre
With Henry the dove - handreared by Pollyanna from a few days old
Pollyanna examines an injured tawny owl brought into her bird hospital
With Princess the Harris's Hawk...
...who likes to be the star of the show!
Princess (and Pollyanna!) being interviewed by Keith Chegwin on BBC1 children's programme Saturday Superstore!
Hands on care - Feeding a Highland Cow at an animal sanctuary
Sketching the donkeys in her own paddock...
...and Riff-Raff a rescued tawny owl in her sanctuary.
Three orphaned tawny owlets in Pollyanna's bird hospital
Painting a young tawny owl from life
Even domestic animals are sketched from life - Pollyanna with a westi!
Even from her earliest days as a wildife artist Pollyanna appreciated the value of sketching from life -she is seen here painting flamingoes at a wildlife park in 1972.
Anna-Louise with a cheetah in a big cat sanctuary
Anna-Louise with a red fox
With a six month old panda in a wildlife hospital in China...
Sketching a snow leopard cub in a breeding project
With an orphaned tiger cub
Sketching Angel the Barn owl
Pollyanna's daughter Anna-Louise was presented with an orphaned sloth bear cub as a 21st birthday gift in India...
...you can read his incredible story, and see Pollyanna's sketches of him in the book The Eye of the Tiger
Anna-Louise with a young Zebra in a willdife Hospital in Namibia
Painting Toby the fox cub - he was subsequently successfully rehabilitated into the wild by Pollyanna
Anna-Louise with Ralph the squirrel - reared and released from Pollyanna's sanctuary
Pollyanna and NingNing the panda relax in the Wolong panda sanctuary
Pollyanna and a rescued bald eagle take a good look at each other at the National Eagle Centre in Minnesota. One of them will go on to paint the other...
Pollyanna and a rescued bald eagle take a good look at each other at the National Eagle Centre in Minnesota. One of them will go on to paint the other...
With a Lanner Falcon
With a reindeer in Lapland...
...and a quarter horse on a ranch in Montana
...and with a very friendly llama!
Pollyanna and Anna-Louise (left) riding in Colorado.
Anna-Louise with a baby barn owl being handreared in the bird hospital
Anna-Louise gets an extreme close-up of a lemur!
...who then carefully inspects her camera.
Pollyanna with a gyr falcon
With an Indian Elephant...
..and a tame samba deer in India
A tusker elephant lifts Pollyanna off the ground
Pollyanna with a Giant tortoise in Africa...
...and a very very tiny one!
Sketching red deer from life for BBC2's Nature's Calendar
Anna-Louise with a rescued badger...
..and befriending a wild deer in the Rocky Mountain National Park
Anna-Louise converses with a cockatiel
Pollyanna with Gizzmo the parrot
Anna-Louise feeds a baby panda in the wildife hospital in China.
There is a slight chance this might not be a genuine encounter...
Anna-Louise feeds a giraffe in Africa

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