Meet new member Polly Hosp

Polly Hosp's spectacular prints bring wildlife stories to life through her knowledge of animal behaviour, expressive marks and her love of drawing. Made in very small, varied editions, each of her prints is unique. She shares her memories of her time living in Africa, her way of working and why she loves printmaking.

"Journeys Through the Heartland" (1 of 3), collagraph, by Polly Hosp

I have a memory that I would like to share with you. It was ten years ago, I was standing on the banks of the Luangwa River in Zambia, and the sun had not yet appeared. There was a slight chill in the air and the smell of perfumed fire that only mopani wood delivers. For a moment, it was just me and the African wilderness.

It had been gradually getting lighter but not in any obvious way, and everything was turning the gentlest shade of orange. The river, still relatively full, surged ever westwards in its silvery quest to meet up with the Zambezi. A small herd of giraffe bustled out of the elephant grass, a giant egret took flight.

And then the sun popped over the horizon, the temperature shot up ten degrees, the first guests came striding enthusiastically across the lawn, and I noticed the marmalade had been put out in a scruffy old Tupperware. The spell was broken!

Left: "The Guardian Angels" (1 of 3), collagraph. Right: "The Gathering" (2 of 5), drypoint and relief. Both by Polly Hosp

I was in Africa for 12 years. My journey had not been especially planned – managing a safari lodge was not on my list of things to do – nor had it been a straight line, in fact the opposite. I had spiralled from Cape Town in my little red Suzuki exploring South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, I even climbed up through the clouds into Lesotho. But it was Zambia that I made my home for nearly a decade, and where I felt inspired to reconnect with my creative roots.

I have no desire to capture every whisker on the face of a lion through my artwork; I aim to explore unique wildlife moments, celebrate animal behaviour and capture a sense of life and movement that tells compelling stories

I love to engage the viewer with conservation issues through simple, joyful imagery.

Top left: "The Watch" (1 of 10), drypoint and relief. Top right: "The Search for Green Pasture" (5 of 5), drypoint and relief. Bottom left: "Kalahari Dreaming" (1 of 5), drypoint and relief. Bottom right: "The Promise of Tomorrow" (2 of 3), drypoint and relief. All by Polly Hosp

Printmaking is my preferred medium because it encourages me to be more expressive and less prescriptive. I like to combine different processes where I can balance loose and tight marks.

Polly Hosp in the studio

A loose starting point for me might be a monoprint, where I roll on colour and make marks with rags and tools. I will print over that with a collagraph plate using carborundum to create strong gestural marks. Then end with drypoint to reflect my love of drawing, where the line is so integral. Sometimes I might start with the drypoint line and use rags and rollers to add colour and texture afterwards.

I like keeping the process fresh and challenging. And I really LOVE surprising myself with an outcome

Printmaking is all about those moments when you put something away to dry and when you look at it again a few weeks later you are delighted with what might have felt disappointing or frustrating at the time!

But this way of working isn’t straightforward; my editions are very small – I will often only produce three prints that make it through to the end point – and they are always ‘variable’, which means selling each print as a one-off, because different prints appeal to different people.

"Park Life" (1 of 3), collagraph, by Polly Hosp

I returned to south-west London two years ago and have been experiencing the seasons with fresh eyes and heightened senses (though rustling in trees still makes me think "ELEPHANT"... even when I’m walking the dog on Clapham Common!).

Exploring the precious urban green space is at the centre of a new body of work that celebrates London's grasses, waterways, and skies, and all that reside there. There are themes of global warming and adverse human activity, but above all survival - protecting and making space for nature in these enclaves is critical.

Left: "... And Then There Were Two" (1 of 5), collagraph. Centre: "High Summer – Slim Pickings" (1 of 3), collagraph. Right: "Trio of Coots" (1 of 5), collagraph. All by Polly Hosp

As well as recently joinging Greenwich Printmakers, I have just been made an Associate Member of the Society of Wildlife Artists – a huge honour and wonderful surprise. This organisation represents the very best of wildlife art with an authenticity and integrity that I respect and admire. I can’t wait to take part in their drawing courses and further develop my practice.

"Following Ancestral Paths" (2 of 5), collagraph, by Polly Hosp

If anyone would like a taste of the memory I shared, I urge you to watch the BBC’s new series Kingdom. It was filmed in the very place where I managed my first safari lodge – Nsefu in Zambia. It promises to provide one of the best safari experiences, all from the comfort of your sofa!

Polly's amazing prints are available all year round in our Greenwich gallery and in our online shop. For more information, visit her artist's page or her website.