Lena Foster was well-known for her watercolors and sketches of Cumberland homes and public buildings. In 1923, she graduated from the Massachusetts Normal Art School, which is now the Massachusetts College of Art. She majored in Design in preparation for a career in the textile industry. She was first employed as a colorist for a Portland rug company.
She was a devoted wife and mother and when time allowed, she studied and worked at her art career. Her desire to always keep learning was fulfilled at this time by taking classes at the Portland Museum of Art, private study, and by studying at the University of Maine, Orono. In the late 40s and early 50s, she taught art at both Falmouth and Greely Junior High Schools.