SOFA At The Llewellyn Alexander Gallery
The Society of Feline Artists was founded in 1994 and held their very first exhibition at Llewellyn Alexander in 1995. Since then the Society has gone from strength to strength and has held its main exhibition every year at Llewellyn Alexander until 2017.
All the artists specialise in painting cats. Cat lovers and art collectors around the world keenly anticipate this exhibition. Originally the exhibition was for one week, but because of its tremendous success the Directors invited the Society to extend the show to two weeks and recently three weeks. The exhibition became an important event in the London Diary, showing for two weeks every September.
Llewellyn Alexander Gallery
Llewellyn Alexander (Fine Paintings) Ltd is closing its doors in 2018. It will be very sadly missed on the London art scene. It was formed in 1987 in premises opposite the Old Vic Theatre in Waterloo, London. The gallery was well known for its high standard of original paintings. There was a good selection of Feline paintings on view at the gallery throughout the year with the main exhibition of the Society taking place every September.
The Annual Exhibition
This annual September exhibition features 300 pictures by 50 Feline Society artists in oil, watercolour, acrylic, pastel, and pencil – making it the largest exhibition of feline art in the country. All the paintings are for sale with a price range of £80 – £2500, with the majority being under £750. Different styles and techniques reflect the many different breeds of cat – from the sophistication of the superior pedigrees such as the Chinchilla, Persian, Burmese, Birman, Siamese and Abyssinian – to the friendly domestic tabby. From the nobility and drama of the wild cat to the playful kitten – all are painted with the mastery of artists who know and understand their subject.
Exhibition Prizes
Each year there was a prize of £250 awarded by the Directors of Llewellyn Alexander for the “Best In Show” painting. The other important annual prize was the Friends’ Prize Draw, one Friend member would win a work of art by one of the members.
David Grant, SOFA Patron
The Society is very proud that their patron is David Grant, MBE B.Vet. Med. F.R.C.V.S the Hospital Director of the RSPCA Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital and the veterinary surgeon who appeared alongside Rolf Harris in the BBC1 series “Animal Hospital”. He very kindly agreed to became the Patron of the society in 2002 and he officially opens the exhibition each year.
Society Of Feline Artists 