We recently connected with Agustina Forest and have shared our conversation below.

Agustina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always felt compelled to draw, even though I never allowed myself to dream of being an artist. I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Being an artist in a country where everyone is struggling to make ends meet can be tricky.

I have a memory of being 17 years old hanging out in the kitchen with my mom. I wanted to make her a joke so as a prank I said I was going to pursue fine arts as a career. I seriously thought it was not an option for me. But then the right people came to my life.

I went to college for marketing and all my notes had drawings on them. One day I was looking for things to do out of my routine and I signed up for a drawing class in a little art school near my home back in Argentina. I was not expecting much. The teacher, Amelia Vidal, starts talking about how she was working as a character designer and showing her work to us. I was mesmerized. I still remember that day so vividly because it was the day my eyes were opened. She showed me that it was possible to make a living by drawing. She also showed me that with hard work and putting in the time you can make it. You can be a professional artist. I owe her so much because of that. Since then, I have been drawing every single day of my life.

I freelanced for many years drawing for different projects but it wasn’t until later in life that I connected the dots and started to see myself as an artist. Artist is a strong word and I had so much respect for it. So it felt like a process to become one. The moment when I accepted myself as an artist was when I realized that while I’m drawing, the existential questions don’t come up. When I’m drawing I refuse to fall prey to destructive existentialism. When it’s just me and the canvas it all makes sense. Art became my tool to overcome existential dread.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Agustina Forest, I am an established artist living and working in Seattle, Washington.

I’m constantly seeking what makes me feel alive, that is to express what I feel and play. I find joy in experimenting with different mediums that allow me to express myself as I need to. Freedom on pencils, expression in oil pastels, character in gouache.. As a result of my play, maybe others can embrace this existence in the same intensity as my heart does.

When I experience something and I draw it, I can go back to that piece of paper many years later and teleport to that very moment, reliving it all over again. It’s like a portal of time.

I love being able to help people relive a moment or an emotion that they treasure in their minds. I ask my clients how they felt in that very moment, about their personalities, and that way I make sure the heart is in the painting as well.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that, when I am out, I can draw somebody, show it to them and get a smile back (99% of the times). It never fails. It is a great way to connect and I feel less alone in this bizarre world that we live in. It also blows my mind that with a piece of burnt wood and a piece of paper you can create something beautiful. I love being able to create out of materials that would mean nothing if humans didn’t apply their imagination to them.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I was a teenager, something in my brain clicked. I fell into a perpetually melancholic nostalgia mindset. I started to acknowledge that things are constantly changing, and I knew I would miss that present time eventually. Drawing helps me fight the passage of time- or at least helps me deal with it. Even with negative emotions. I draw them out cause just like the good times I know they will pass. I love capturing a moment and its emotions. My heart is the one that beats hard and it’s where I feel the inspiration. I am constantly taking classes and improving my craft because I need to give my heart the tools to express itself,

Contact Info:

• Website: www.agustinaforest.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/artofagustina
• Twitter: twitter.com/artofagustina