Jerzy Marek (b. 1925 d. 2014) was a Polish self-taught artist, specialising in oil paintings. Marek lived in England from 1948, latterly in Edinburgh, as Jerzy Murray. He began painting in 1970, after working as a civil engineer in the day. After an early retirement in 1981, he devoted his time to painting. He spent much time encouraging self-taught artists in the northwest; they became known as The Marek Circle. Marek worked slowly on a small scale, deriving most of his ideas from tiny doodles. After sporting and pastoral scenes, lush Victorian interiors followed. These all showed a distinctive technique. He then worked on close-ups of animals and people.