GENERAL NOTES ON WORK
Gypsy was born on 25th May 1923 in Amberley, North
Canterbury, where her father, Warden Browne, was
Postmaster. She lived in Amberley, Rakaia, Waipukarau
and Greymouth before her family moved to Timaru when
she was 17. She attended Timaru Girls’ High School, and
worked at McGruer Davies as a display artist, where she
met her husband Edwin Poulston, who worked there
as a display manager. They married in January 1946 at
St Mary’s.
Their work was published in display magazines world wide
She first worked at Craighead as a relieving teacher, but
became a permanent member of staff and an important
part of the Craighead family, initially teaching art to Art
Prelim level, but later teaching History of Art as a
University Entrance subject
Her last year teaching at Craighead was 1974
Her art was influenced by New Zealand artist Louise
Henderson, and later by cubism, which she studied in
order to teach the concepts and major principles. She
was selected for study with Toss Wollaston at a Canterbury
art workshop, and also studied with him privately. Gypsy
worked in charcoal, conté, oil, watercolour and Oamaru
stone
Gypsy exhibited twice in Vancouver (one painting was
selected to represent Canada on a Canadian tour) where
her son lives, as well as in Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch,
Timaru, Oamaru and Dunedin, where she exhibited as part
of a group, known as the "Group of Seven". She has work in
the Auckland, Christchurch, and Timaru art galleries
Gypsy worked closely with her husband Eddie, designing the
murals they worked on together. In Timaru their work can
be seen on the Coat of Arms hanging high about the council
building, and her own work, the Nurses’ mural at the
entrance to Timaru Hospital
Gypsy also designed four contemporary stained glass chapel / church windows around Timaru:
Craighead chapel in 1973
St Johns Anglican Church in 1976
Woodlands Road Methodist Church in 1978
Wilson St. Baptist Church
