Barb Forrister
TXAPP: You live in Texas now, but you weren’t raised here?
BF: I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1996, I moved to Tempe, Arizona, part of Phoenix metro area where I lived for eight years before moving to Fort Collins, Colorado in 2004. The front range was beautiful but two years later, we relocated to Austin, Texas. I often joke that I am somewhat of a gypsy but honestly I really like Austin and hope to stay rooted here for a while!
TXAPP: What media do you create in?
BF: Wow, this is a tough question. While mainly a textile artist, I work with all sorts of media. Everything is fair game. I dye/paint and ink both natural and man made fibers. These may include but are not limited to cloth, plastics, yarns, roving, beads, trinkets, wire, Lutradur, Tyvek, Textiva and even packing materials.
I am wild about texture and depending on the subject at hand, I will try and play with creating different textures in nature by using heat distressed plastics, rugged upholstery materials and other fibers.
I work in both 2 and 3 dimensional manners. Texture is always my main focus and I love bringing things off the surface. Many of my naturescapes consist of 3 dimensional leaves and animals. Currently, I am working on a few 3D projects: a couple of pieces involving 3D flowers, another creating a 3D adobe cloth house and also fiber art trees. I enjoy the challenge of bringing dimensionality to my work by using various fibers in unconventional manners, especially when it involves upcycling materials that would normally contribute to our landfills.
One of my favorite creative processes is heat distressing. I am such a pyromaniac! I love watching the fibers bubble and contort as they take on new shapes and textures.
TXAPP: How do you describe your style?
BF: I enjoy working in a pictorial style with an emphasis on nature. However, I am flexible and also work in an abstract manner. Two aspects common to both styles of my work are my propensity for 3 dimensional work and my desire to create art from recycled materials. I am very green at heart!
TXAPP: Are there any other artists in your family?
BF: My husband and daughters are audio artists. Music is their game and often I am treated to live entertainment. Such a treat! My youngest daughter is a very gifted visual artist as well.
TXAPP: What does your normal day look like?
BF: My normal day usually starts with about a half hour of business and correspondence over a few cups of coffee. The rest of the day is spent creating in the studio. Each day is different. Sometimes I am painting or dyeing fabric. Other times, I might be sketching or sewing. If I am in the composing mode, a lot of time is often spent on trying to figure out ways to impart what I want to say and bring texture into my work. In the evening, when the gang returns home, we visit with one another about the day.
TXAPP: Where do you create? Please describe it for us.
BF: My studio is upstairs. I share the space with my husband who has his audio recording equipment there. Because I am the primary occupant, the bulk of the space is mine. My studio is relatively large and consists of a very large oak sewing cabinet which houses my sewing machine and has three large drop leafs that extend out in three directions, therefore providing room for designing and cutting. The cabinet was custom designed for me and was made of oak by my dear father.
Behind my chair is a large China cabinet that stores all my fabric. OK, well not all, but most of my fabric! To the right is an ironing station above my thread cabinet, followed by a short but rather long cabinet with glass sliding doors to hold my books and magazines.
I also have my husband’s grandmother’s old treadle sewing machine there. I have a large design wall which I use to design and photograph artwork. The closet in my studio consists of a trunk where I store even more material, a single vertical plastic multi drawer cabinet where I keep dyed laces, fibers, heat distressed plastics and other unconventional materials.
My wet studio is located in the guestroom where I have my drafting table and all my paints, watersoluble pastel crayons, prisma color pencils, paintsticks, stamps, brushes, etc. My other wet studio is the kitchen where I do most of my dyeing.
TXAPP: What is your favorite geographical setting?
BF: I love mountains and forests. Much of my work depicts these types of settings. I also am enamored by our vast oceans and love to create waterscapes as well.
TXAPP: Do you think your location influences your work?
BF: Most definitely. Living in Austin has been a huge influence in my work. I live near a preserve at the end of our street filled with wildlife. It is a beautiful place and filled with so much inspiration. However, visits to see friends and family in New Mexico and all along the Front Range in Colorado and in South Carolina have provided me with enormous amounts of inspiration as well. Often, I can be seen sporting my camera around hoping to get a glimpse of wildlife and nature to incorporate in my art. Many of my pieces are born in this manner.
TXAPP: What colors are you naturally drawn to? Do you find yourself using them repeatedly in your work?
BF: I am drawn to colors I find in nature and that can incorporate just about anything. However, I am especially attracted to colors such as greens, browns and blues. These are the main colors of the earth and sky, so they are used repeatedly in my work.
My choice of color palette lies in strong vibrant colors such as reds, yellows and oranges, although to be able to effectively use these colors, I must incorporate them sparingly and use neutrals such as greens, browns and blues to tone them down. A little goes a long way and I am constantly learning about color and how to draw it out.
TXAPP: What are some of the themes or subject matter that you often use?
BF: I create naturescapes, waterscapes and wildlife scenes. I am particularly interested in birds and trees.
TXAPP: What’s the best piece of advice about being an artist you’ve received?
BF: The best piece of advice that I have received is to allow yourself be in the moment.
TXAPP: What are your hobbies?
BF: My hobbies include photography, birding, hiking, swimming, reading and billiards.
TXAPP: Any favorite foods?
BF: My favorite all time food is hot green chile. I just can’t get enough of it. I also enjoy pizza, salads, Mexican food and seafood.
TXAPP: What is your favorite season?
BF: Wow! This is another tough one. Each season has so much to offer. I used to think summer was my favorite, but the humidity and triple digit temps here in Austin just about kill me! However, it is usually this time when I go on vacation and find so much inspiration. I love fall also, because of the beautiful colors evident everywhere. Winter is always a time of reflection and can be quite stunning. Spring is absolutely gorgeous with all the wildlife most active during this time of the year. I guess in answer to your question, I love them all!
TXAPP: Thanks for participating in the Texas Artist Portrait Project, Barb!
Be sure to check out Barb’s artwork on her website: www.BarbForrister.com, where you can also read her blog and stay up to date on what’s happening in her art life.
