b. 1992
Forrest Elliott is a contemporary painter exploring color relationships and how they are translated through the experience of seeing onto a two dimensional surface. He received his B.F.A. from the University of New Hampshire with a minor in History. His work has been featured in Clover + Bee, Design*Sponge, and Studio Visit to name a few publications. Forrest is represented by Blue Door Gallery, in York, Maine, Kennedy Gallery and Nahcotta in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery in Center Sandwich, New Hampshire. His work is held in extensive private collections throughout the United States and abroad, including, Balmain, NSW, Australia & Hong Kong, China. He is currently a full-time artist working out of his studios in York, Maine and Rollinsford, New Hampshire.
“Painting challenges me to transcend the boundaries of my location and identity. Vibrant colors, subtle neutrals, design, movement and memory form the foundation of my approach as a colorist. I aim to translate these relationships through observation and invention. Nuances of color and light are distilled to create essential forms, sometimes allowing the viewer to see just enough.
Observation, invention, and memory coalesce in my process. Each helps inform decisions I make when creating sensitive palettes, the quality of a shapes edge, or the compositional language of a painting. I revel in the notion that the electricity of a color or the sudden shift of the palette knife or brush across the canvas has the ability to alter our perception of reality. Painting, for me, is the act of translating the human experience of seeing onto a two dimensional surface.”
Q. If you could offer your younger self any advice at the start of your artistic career, what would it be?”
A. “I’ve always struggled with giving advice to my younger self. Would knowing what I know now change the path I’m on in my early thirties? I’m inclined to say yes, emphatically. What I can offer now are these insights: Be unwavering in your commitment to your studio practice. Embrace every opportunity that resonates with your core values as an artist, and confidently decline those that do not. Undoubtedly, this will open doors to more fruitful opportunities and collaborations. Whether art is your full-time pursuit or simply a creative outlet, strive to do something each day that enriches your practice.
When I discuss my work with others, I often emphasize the importance of intuition and manifestation. If you believe that your creative success and overall well-being stem from the power of your own mind, that’s when the life you aspire to will unfold before your eyes. Being creative takes hard work and determination, but the reward is tenfold.”