Marian Forster - S.O.F.A.

I live in Emsworth on the south coast, near the sea, and endeavour to bring humour and an eye for the unusual to my paintings of the region, its people and wildlife. I specialise in feline, wildlife and maritime subjects and have won the award for best watercolour at two consecutive exhibitions of the Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Gallery London.

I began my artistic career working on the Mary Rose project, drawing a wide range of objects but specialising in illustrating clothing found on board the ship. Archaeological illustration involves precise pen and ink drawing and it was not until 1990 when I took up painting that my world exploded into colour!

I like to combine my artistic gift with quirky scenarios and humour to capture lighthearted observations of cats, especially Siamese. I usually work in watercolour and pen but also love the colours, effects and excitement produced in reduction lino printing.