Kristina Forrest, artist from Brisbane, Australia.
I live in Brisbane, Australia with my husband, 3 kids and our cute puppy “Rocky”.
Awed and mesmerised by colour and patterns when I was a child, I spent a lot of time drawing never worrying whether the drawings were good or not. I just enjoyed it. Music was also part of my youth and to this day, both music and art are an integral part of my life.
During my 6 months of boarding school at age 14, I really felt that inner urge to make art for the first time: during the night time study sessions I would work on little artworks with my pencil and hope not to be caught!
A goal is reached.
When I was 19, I moved to Brisbane to become an artist. After high school I had studied visual arts for a year and had been accepted at a Brisbane university. I was so excited as this had been my goal; however, I found the course very disappointing and not what I expected so I didn’t end up continuing with it. I also dived into Brisbane’s live music scene at the same time and have been performing in bands of many different styles over the past 20 years.
Even though I left university, I continued with my passion for art, creating many large scale abstract and figurative oil paintings. I was involved in numerous exhibitions during this time and really enjoyed this period.
Coping with life’s challenges.
When I was 31 I had my second child and my art studio had to become her bedroom. Over the next 9 years, I had my 3rd child and suffered a couple of difficult chronic illnesses which meant that I didn’t actually paint during that entire time and I think I did maybe 5 drawings! With 3 kids and ill health, while still doing gigs and managing a band, my energy was at capacity and there was no space for art. I knew that one day I would paint again and I felt calm in the knowledge that it would happen when the time was right.
About 3 years ago I began feeling this strong tingling in my fingers. They were yearning to pick up a brush again! I was very excited that my passion which had felt dormant for so long was finally waking up. Life was beginning to give me a little more space and I was very open to seeing where this may lead.
A new artistic adventure begins.
I have a small sustainable fashion business which I design and sew all the clothing for and I decided to start experimenting with painting the textiles.
This was really fun and well received. From there, I’ve slowly played with my style and interests to find my unique signature style, which I have to say is very different from the style I had before the break. It’s amazing what 9 years can do!
I continue to play and be inspired and I am excited to see where my fingers will lead me next.
Advantages of working small.
Currently, I still don’t have a studio, so I work small.
I use acrylic paint, Posca pens and markers to create my original art pieces and I also use Illustrator and Procreate to create my surface designs.
One day, I hope to branch back out into larger pieces again when I am able to find the space to do so. For now, I’m really enjoying the ease of being able to take my art with me anywhere I like. It works well with our small and busy household as I can set up and pack down in a matter of minutes.
Delighted by colour and patterns.
I also love creating surface pattern designs and I’m currently working toward a collection of seamless pattern repeats for textiles and other surfaces. I am so delighted by colour and the feeling I experience when I set one colour next to another on the page. It’s such a simple thing but it gives me joy.
You can see in my work, I’m very inspired by patterns and I love combining different patterns and seeing where each piece will lead. It is my hope that my artwork brings joy and light to the world and for a brief moment the viewer is able to pause and forget the many stresses of daily life.
If you’d like to see more of my work, you can check out my Instagram and Website.
To view other artists who have been featured on my website in the last 3 years, please visit the Guest Artist page.
I am grateful for all the talented, productive artists and creatives from all over the world (photographer, author...) who have appeared on Louise's ARTiculations.
If you are a creative and would like to be featured in this space, please contact me. This feature will continue this year as my goal is to share the wonderful work of all types of creatives.
I do not charge a fee to showcase your creative work!
Many featured guests remain in my circle of friends on social media sites, and some, I have even met in person.
It’s great that you are creating such vivid and interesting art pieces after such a long break. All the best with your health and art.
Thank you so much Vivienne, I appreciate your kind words. I’m grateful everyday to be able to create!