Meet Polly Greathouse
Polly Greathouse is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the vitality and interconnectedness of the natural world.
Trained in painting, drawing, and photography at the University of Illinois, she began her career in animation and interface design, helping pioneer early mobile user interfaces before returning to fine art. Her paintings in oil on paper, inks, multimedia, and water media combine fluid, watercolor-like transparencies with bold, gestural strokes and layered impasto.
Polly also integrates photography and digital tools into her practice, expanding her painterly vocabulary. Influenced by Sumi-e techniques and abstract expressionism, her compositions evoke ecosystems in motion—shaped by shifting light, weather, and seasonal cycles. Rather than a single focal point, her work offers immersive landscapes that mirror the experience of being in nature, where everything is alive and interconnected.
See Polly’s art on display at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods January 3 – 31, 2026.
Media: Oil on paper
Polly’s Artist Statement
“I paint natural environments from various regions, but most often observe, honor, and celebrate the landscapes of Illinois where I live and work. My art reflects the expressive, ever-changing motions of ecosystems. A consistent element in my work is the absence of a single focal point—much like the experience of being in nature, where wind, sunlight, water, and terrain shift dynamically. I aim to capture fleeting impressions: the posture of a plant, the motion of a bird, the awesome presence of wind or light. These glimpses seed a memory of the moment—one I’m grateful to witness, breathe in, and translate through artistic impressions.”
Image: Twelve Pots, Fenway Victory Gardens, by Polly Greathouse
Media: Oil on paper
Artist of the Month Events
January 31
10:00 am – 3:00 pm | Free
Open Art Workshop with Polly Greathouse
Open Art Workshop is open to anyone who wants to make something in any area of visual arts and crafts, from the experienced artist looking for a community of others to work with, to the complete novice who just wants to try something out in a low pressure environment, or the family looking for a fun kids’ activity to fill their afternoon – this workshop is for you!
Image: Red-wing blackbirds, Independence Grove by Polly Greathouse
Media: Charcoal sketch
