Introducing our Artist of the Month for December 2015 - Mary Stubberfield - a painter whose work ranges from landscapes to animals with cats being a favourite element to feature. With a beautiful and varied collection of feline characters now in Mary's portfolio, we wanted to take a closer look. We asked Mary about the inspiration and stories behind her cat paintings which include a collection of popular Christmas cats licensed to and published by Pomegranate in the USA for Christmas 2015. We discovered that Mary really is a true cat lover...
"Having grown up in Sussex by the sea and keeping pets from a young age, I am especially drawn to cats. They are clever, independent and wonderful companions.
After qualifying at Bournemouth Arts University I moved to London and worked for various publishers as a freelance illustrator. It was after moving back to Sussex when I was given my cat Lucy, a young tortieshell. She was very athletic and liked to run up trees but it wasn't so easy getting down again.
I like to practise yoga and meditation and cats love to join in, especially in 'downward dog'.
Walking by the sea, being in nature and stroking a cat are great ways to relax.
I lived on a Greek island for two years and looked after many cats there. Gingers, tabbies, black and white 'Felix' cats, and a Siamese called Coco. Meal times were a little chaotic and there was the odd fracas but I enjoyed every moment. I helped the visiting vet with the annual neutering programme which was a great success. My special cat there was a Russian blue named Ellie who I raised from a kitten.
I recently volunteered for Cats Protection who do a great job sheltering and rehoming unwanted cats and kittens. They have shelters and charity shops nationwide.
I like to sketch cats in pencil while they relax and in my artworks try to convey humour and a certain smugness. I love to paint their fur in oils which gives great depth and especially enjoy creating cats in snowy scenes for Christmas"
See more of Mary Stubberfield's portfolio
