Carla Forrest

I approach art as an observer of the soul, enlightening the viewer about the presence, wonder, and dignity of nature and life. I want the viewer to value place and person in a space of spirit and heart and bring this illumination into their personal environments.

While painting, I think about scale and how insignificant and unimportant we are in relation to the natural elements like sky, mountains, rivers, foliage, and fauna. I think about light—warmth and cool—and the play of highlight and shadow, and how nurturing our sun is in the cycle of life.

This direct observation of nature and presence inspires my spectral luminescent works. My palette and sculptural form come from what I see in the western landscape–full spectrum colors and stellar shapes, not just greens, blues, and square angles. My paintings emerge through multiple layers of color tiles and striations using pallet knives and other mark-making tools, creating a dynamic, tactical quality that appeals to a sense of touch and feel. From thin to the thick and from transparent to opaque, the rich surfaces of my paintings immerse the viewer into a multi-dimensional world where they may experience the soul of creativity.