Dronfield Heritage Trust was saddened to hear the news that renowned wildlife artist, Pollyanna Pickering, died earlier this month following a short illness. She was 75.
Widely considered as one of Britain and Europe’s most pre-eminent wildlife artists, Pollyanna won more than 30 awards over a lengthy career. She was commissioned to paint the Queen’s favourite racing pigeon, as well as UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed’s Ascot-winning racehorses. David Bowie, Virginia McKenna and John Hurt were among her most famous collectors.
Regular visitors to the Barn will be familiar with Pollyanna’s work, in part due to her loyal support of the project.
“Pollyanna supported the Barn through our opening period by helping us re-launch the Dronfield Wildlife and Natural History Group. She kindly gave her time freely to give two brilliantly attended lectures at the Civic Hall and a wonderful exhibition of her work in our gallery room,” Activities and Interpretation Manager Maria Smith said.
“We were also able to raffle a beautiful giclée print that she generously donated, and all the proceeds went back into the project. Pollyanna will be greatly missed by the DWNHG and all our volunteers who got to know her, but her work and lasting legacy will continue to inspire many of us.”
Everyone involved with the Barn would like to send their condolences to Pollyanna’s family and friends. If you would like to donate to the Pollyanna Pickering foundation, you can do so at the following link: https://www.memorygiving.com/pollyannapickering
Main image taken from www.pollyannapickering.co.uk
