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My artistic ability emerged at a very early age. At the age of eight I have a clear memory of having a fascination with ‘paint by numbers,’ and painting overtook any other form of amusement. I’m happy to say that I no longer use this artificial technique!
During my secondary school years in Devon I excelled in art, and by the end of my school life, art seemed the most appropriate and natural career path for me to follow. The big catalyst for me, however, was watching a film about the work of David Shepherd.
It was so exciting and inspiring that it immediately sparked off my interest in painting wildlife in oils. After leaving college in Cornwall in 1982, I gradually made the transition from technical illustration to oil painting over the following eight years.
By 1990 I was painting wildlife full-time, and following my first solo exhibition at Marwell Hall (Marwell Zoological Park) in Hampshire, I began my regular visits to Africa. I have been traveling to various countries in Africa ever since and feel that my work improves with each exciting trip, as well as my understanding of the natural world.
The inspiration for the work I do comes from the animals and the landscapes that I see around me. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t see something that makes me wonder what it would look like as a painting! I always try to imagine how I could ‘improve’ the real thing and create a more powerful effect in paint. It is largely the light and atmosphere around the subject that makes me want to paint it. Given the choice of a cheetah with no light or a dead tree in glorious sunlight – I would sooner paint the tree.
Whenever possible I also like to remind people about conservation. It has been said many times before, but we really are the only destructive creatures on this fragile planet. If we don’t look after this world, which belongs to all life - not just the human race, we and everything else around us will eventually suffer the consequences.
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Tony Forrest's Work
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