Chris Forsey

                     Artist - Illustrator

News and Events 2009

SURREY ARTISTS OPEN STUDIO EVENT: My home and studio will be open to the public to view latest work and talk to the artist in his home patch - Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June12-6pm, Thursday 18 June(5-8 30pm) Sunday 21June 12-6pm.
See www.surreyopenstudios.org.ukfor more details.

WEST DEAN WEEKEND PAINTING COURSE: A 3 day residential course at West Dean College, Chichester ,tutored painting in mixed media inspiration taken from the architecture and landscape surrounding the college - October 16, 17 and 18. Brochures are available from West Dean College. See www.westdean.org.uk for details. Contact the college on 01243 811301, or email: enquiries@westdean.org.uk.

GALLERY EVENTS 2009: Lincoln Joyce Fine Art, Bookham, Surrey, - MARINE EXHIBITION 4-21 March, GROUP SHOW(15 new works by Chris) 8-25 April, SUMMER GROUP SHOW,1-25 JULY. Buckenham Gallery, Southwold, Suffolk - SUMMER SHOW June, july Scotland Art, Glasgow "SHIP TO SHORE" GROUP EXHIBITION 30 May

Biography

I began my art career as an illustrator in a publisher's studio after studying art and graphics in Bristol. I am a self taught watercolour painter, constantly trying to extend and add to my skills in water-based media. I have exhibted on numerous occasions with the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. I am a tutor of painting and run my own watercolour classes in Surrey and Sussex and in the Greek Islands. I also give lively and informative demonstraitons to art societies and groups thoughout South East England and am delighted to undertake commisssions of landscape subjects and house portraits.

I endeavour to re-appraise my style and technique on a regular basis and this has led me towards a mixed-media approach to my work, combining watercolour, acrylic, pastel and gouache. I am exhilarated by colour and surface and enjoy creating textured layers of dry-brushed colour that allow hints of complementary hue to glow through, thus creating an exciting surface of scattered, broken colour.

I specialise in landscape subjects, exploring the themes of man-made alongside the organic: buildings by water; structure emerging from a rocky cliff, sometimes with figures contributing to this theme, inhabiting the middle ground between buidings and the wildness of nature. I am inspired by downland, coastal scenes of the Uk and the Mediternean, cafe life and townscapes. I try to capture the sense of a place at a specific moment, season or time of day, always endeavouring to bring passion and immediacy to my work.

Chris was awarded the prestigious F DONALD BLAKE AWARD for a contemporary watercolour by the LINCOLN JOYCE gallery in 2006at the RI spring exhibition and also THE MATT BRUCE MEMORIAL AWARD for light and colour at the 2007 RI exhibition.