Scottish born Catherine Forshall studied painting and drawing in Florence under Simi. In 1985 she moved with her family to the south west of France where she lived for 18 years. The light and colour of the landscape was a constant inspiration. Following visits to the Atlantic coast she made fluent lively studies of shellfish and sand in the pull of the tide, and also of the movement of shoals of fish. In 2003 she moved to Catalonia where she continued her observations of the sea. In 2005 she moved with her family to rural Devon where she continues her work. Her paintings are widely admired and held in private collections in the UK, Europe, Australia and North America.
“My recent work is a continuation of my interest in aquatic subjects, which has spanned a decade. Initially I was inspired by things that I found on the edge of the Bay of Arcachon, on the Atlantic coast of France, then by the coast of Catalonia and now by English waters. I find fish immensely appealing to paint: the way that the water through which they travel catches the light and the way that they themselves hold it and reflect it. I try to capture their strength, vitality and playfulness using the calligraphic work I so enjoy.”
