Artist Statement - Penny Forrest

I am painting my biography.  Just as every good author writes what he knows, I am painting what I know, the things that have the most meaning in my life.  Nature, beauty, color and light are all integral elements of my work whether I’m painting my relationship with my family and friends, trying to capture an emotion with an abstract, or having a laugh with whimsy.

Like a juggler I like to keep several styles of painting going at once, each style contributing to the other, each growing and developing and framing the structure of my growth as an artist. Currently I am working on 3 separate and distinct series, each is done with oil on canvas:

1. “Pixels” – This series was born of my long history of working with digital photographs, producing photo realistic simulations for engineers and architects.  Each painting captures a view by using large squares of color.  These images may not be visible until the viewer steps back and takes time to contemplate what is being said.  My goal is to make the viewer stop and consider.


2. “Party Hats” – A figurative series based on my relationship with my Danish family where I am attempting to illustrate the Danish word “hyggelig”.  There is no direct translation to English – the closest way to describe it might be “nice”, “cozy” or “ambiance”.  To me it’s family, friends, warmth, something good to eat and drink, candle light, a nice chat and a good time.  To illustrate this word I used odd bits of color on each of the figures showing the ties between us and a warm, dark, smoky background to convey the coziness.


3. “Shapes” – With these abstracts I am capitalizing on a positive side of growing older.  In the beginning we emerge into the light, our eyes weak and unfocused. And, as I age my sight again becoming less clear, but now allowing me to focus on form and color.  Occasionally, this leads me down a whimsical side path but this series is another step in the evolution of the Pixels work.