ISABEL FORBES
Isabel Forbes, grew up in Spartanburg, SC. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be an artist. Upon completing high school with a Scholastic Art Scholarship, Forbes began her art education at Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree.
Forbes was employed as a full-time graphic designer and illustrator and worked for various companies in their Marketing Departments. She believes learning is an ongoing process and continues to develop and refine her artistic talent through workshops with renowned artists such as Alex Powers, Charles Sovek, Sigmund Ables, Sue Lyons and Burt Silverman.
Since 2007, Forbes has devoted herself to oil painting full-time. She primarily works in her studio, using her outdoor sketches or “plein-air” paintings as inspiration.
The subject of many of her oil paintings is of urban landscapes that may include signage, streetlights, telephone poles, old railroad bridges or even someone eating at a restaurant counter. These paintings are often images that might seem, on the surface, unremarkable, but she finds beauty in the most mundane of these settings. Forbes also paints coastal scenes, interiors and figures from her travels.
She is a founding member of the Charleston Outdoor Painters Association (COPA), an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), and a board member of the Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg.
She is a founding member of the Charleston Outdoor Painters Association (COPA), an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), and a board member of the Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg.
Artist Statement:
I have been making art for as long as I can remember. As a young girl, I learned how to use a camera and actually printed my own black and white photographs. Today, I see how my experiences with photography have influenced how I see the world and create my art. The subject of my paintings is not primarily buildings and these other objects, but rather the composition and contrasting elements of light and dark, complementary colors, and negative space. While my work may be called representational or realistic, my approach is from a more abstract perspective.
I have been making art for as long as I can remember. As a young girl, I learned how to use a camera and actually printed my own black and white photographs. Today, I see how my experiences with photography have influenced how I see the world and create my art. The subject of my paintings is not primarily buildings and these other objects, but rather the composition and contrasting elements of light and dark, complementary colors, and negative space. While my work may be called representational or realistic, my approach is from a more abstract perspective.
The urban landscape is one of the subjects that inspire me. My paintings frequently include streetlights, signage, telephone poles, and other seemingly plain elements of the city infrastructure. I also paint coastal landscapes and interiors with figures. I have painted the SC coast, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and many other wonderful places, but my approach is the same; the central theme is the contrast of light and dark and the negative space within the composition. These paintings are often images that might seem, on the surface, unremarkable and plain, such as someone eating at a restaurant counter or an old railroad bridge.
The most elemental beauty can be found in the most mundane of settings, often in plain sight. My paintings are my personal experiences. I hope that my work changes the viewers' perceptions of their surroundings. When my collectors and friends become nostalgic about a piece or tell me how they notice old mill houses or diners they routinely pass by, I feel like my designs are brought to life and I have succeeded.