THE ART OF JOE FORREST
Nicky Rigby-Smith interviews Wirral Fine Artist, Joe Forrest.
Joe Forrest is a Fine Artist from Wallasey specialising in
high quality drawings, paintings and sculpture doing both
original pieces, commissions and commercial projects.
Where did your passion for art come from?
I’ve always been artistic, as a child I would sit around for
hours with my cousin and older brother drawing, often epic
stickmen battles across multiple sheets of paper that we had
taped together. I’ve always been encouraged by my parents,
family and teachers, so they’ve helped nurture any natural
artistic abilities I had and given me the confidence to do it full
time.
You trained in art including painting, drawing and
sculpture - which genre is your favourite?
I don’t particularly have a favourite, as I like to try everything
and push my skill base, but I probably specialise more in
pencil drawings and oil painting. Sculpting is a lot of fun,
whether in clay or stone, but it’s not often I get to do it as it’s
very messy and time consuming, requiring a lot of space and
a large budget because it’s more specialised work.
When you start on a new commission to paint a picture,
how do you choose which medium to use?
I’ll decide the medium with the client based on a number
of factors such as size, style and budget. The main point is
usually what aesthetic look they’re looking for - is it high
detailed and realistic, or more painterly with visible brush
strokes. Other factors include the varnish, an oil painting will
need to be left for 6-9 months to fully dry before the final
varnish can be applied and requires a high gloss varnish to
give it depth and to bring out the colours. Where as acrylic
paintings can be varnished after 24 hours and can have a matt
varnish instead.
Have you worked on any notable projects or for any
notable clients?
Yes, in 2011 my brother and I produced 5ft tall heads of
Prince William and Kate to celebrate the Royal Wedding. A
CIC in Chester makes giants for community events and we
were asked to created fibreglass busts for their royal giants.
In 2013, I painted a retirement portrait of Jamie Carragher
for his 23 Foundation. It was meant to be auctioned off for
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charity but as it coincided with his retirement it was signed by
all the players and staff at the Melwood training ground and
presented to him as a retirement gift. More recently, I painted
a series of canvases and murals at The Viking pub in West
Kirby for Simon Rimmer & the team. All the artwork was
of local animals and Viking themed wildlife, which was fun
to paint. The murals were done during the day so customers
would be watching me and have a chat. The response has been
fantastic, everyone loves them! Simon’s favourite is the Raven,
but I like the badger most.
What do you think is the best piece of work that you’ve
done and why?
I have a piece called ‘Storm’, an oil painting of a sunset shining
through a storm out at sea. My Dad took a series of photos
from his house in New Brighton which I used as the basis. I
really played with the colour and light throughout it and tried
to push myself. The other piece which stands out is a David
Bowie portrait I was recently asked to do. It’s quite large, just
over 100 x 75 cm.
Who has influenced your work the most?
My tutor, and friend, Terry McGunigle has influenced me
more than I probably know. His guidance into discovering
the importance of traditional and classical art has shown me
the importance of proper knowledge and training. I often
look back to things I used to struggle with and can clearly
see I didn’t fully understand what I was looking at, whether
it’s anatomy, perspective, light, colour theory or just my
technique of painting.
What do you think of “competitive” painting - shows like
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, Landscape Artist of
the Year?
I’ve not seen many of them, but I think they do help promote
the arts and introduce it to new audiences, which is more
important than anything.
How do you relax and switch off?
I play keyboards and used to be in a band, so music is always
important to me. I like going for walks, drinks with friends,
time with friends and family, the usual.