We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Forrest Elliott a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Forrest, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

Often I find myself reflecting on this question when I am working in my studio. After graduating with my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree a little over a decade ago, I pursued various roles within creative industries but didn’t prioritize my personal creative practice. For eight years, I focused on building brands and managing operations for companies within the arts & entertainment industry, as well as, residential real estate.

During the pandemic, I had an opportunity to leave my 9-to-5 desk job. While it was both nerve-wracking and liberating, I used this time of transition as a chance to reassess my next steps. In the fall of 2021, I attended a week-long art retreat hosted by Squam Art Workshops in New Hampshire. I spent my days painting and surrounding myself with likeminded creatives. To say it was a transformative experience may be an understatement. Upon returning home, I made the decision to commit to returning to my creative work full-time after an eight-year hiatus.

Now, four years into this journey, having created numerous bodies of work, I can confidently say I wouldn’t change a thing about the timing of my creative comeback. The personal and professional experiences I had in the years following graduating from art school have deeply influenced the way I approach my work today.

A few key lessons I’ve learned working for myself and pursuing my artistic passions are:

1. Commit unwaveringly to your studio practice. Treat it as both a discipline and more importantly a privilege.


2. Embrace opportunities that resonate with your core values as an artist and confidently decline those that do not. Trust that this will open doors to more meaningful collaborations and experiences.
NO is a complete sentence!

3. Whether art is your full-time pursuit or a side passion, make time for it every day. Even small efforts will enrich your practice over time.


When discussing my work and studio practice with others, I often emphasize the importance of intuition and manifestation. If you believe that your creative success and overall well-being stem from the power of your own mind, that’s when the life you aspire to will unfold before your eyes. Being creative takes hard work and determination, but the reward is tenfold.

Forrest, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a full-time artist working out of my studio in York, Maine where I live with my husband and our two cats, Lili and Gracie.

Painting challenges me to transcend the boundaries of my location and identity. Vibrant colors, subtle neutrals, design, movement and memory form the foundation of my approach as a colorist. Nuances of color and light are distilled to create essential forms within my work, sometimes allowing the viewer to see just enough.

Observation, invention, and memory coalesce in my process. Each helps inform decisions I make when creating sensitive palettes, the quality of a shape’s edge, or the compositional language of a painting. I revel in the notion that the electricity of a color or the sudden shift of the palette knife or brush across the canvas has the ability to alter our perception of reality. Painting, for me, is the act of translating the human experience of seeing onto a two dimensional surface.

I received my B.F.A. from the University of New Hampshire, with a minor in History. Since graduating, my work has been featured in publications such as Clover + Bee Magazine, DesignSponge*, and Studio Visit, among others.

I am represented by Blue Door Gallery in York, Maine, Kennedy Gallery & Custom Framing and Nahcotta in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery in Center Sandwich, New Hampshire. My work is held in numerous private collections across the United States and internationally, including in Balmain, NSW, Australia, and Hong Kong, China.

When I am not working in my studio, I can be found volunteering at Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, a local non-profit music and arts school where I sit on the Board of Directors and chair the Visual Arts Advisory Committee, spending long summer days working in my gardens or designing spaces in our home, working with a variety of clients as a creative consultant, or hopping on a plane to a warm destination in the Caribbean.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the opportunity to connect with other creatives and collectors—whether through social media, gallery exhibitions, open studio events, or intimate studio visits. While the majority of the time I spend creating is solitary, painting itself is a sacred practice that extends beyond the studio and connects to a larger audience. I often find myself tucked away in my studio for days or even weeks, working through ideas and confronting the challenges that arise along the way.

When a painting leaves my studio and is displayed in a gallery, it’s always a transformative experience to hear how collectors and other artists interpret and engage with the work. Art has the power to spark transformation and healing, and it’s deeply humbling to play a role in sharing that experience with the world. Whether the impact is big or small, I am continually moved by how my work resonates with others.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In our interconnected global society, supporting artists and creatives should be seen as an investment in our cultural and intellectual capital. When artists are supported, they are empowered to push boundaries, challenge ideas, spark social movements, and create work that resonates with the human condition. A thriving creative ecosystem not only enriches the cultural fabric of society but also drives innovation and deepens the meaning of our shared experiences.

Whether you are a fellow creative or someone who simply appreciates the arts, we can all play a part in supporting artists by providing tangible resources such as access to funding and education, and fostering a culture that values creativity, diversity, and collaboration. By nurturing and championing the work of artists, we all stand to benefit from their profound contributions to society.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.forrestelliott.com
• Instagram: @forrestkelliott
• Other: Email: forrest@forrestelliott.com

Image Credits

Photo of Forrest: Bridget Williams

Photo of Blue Door Gallery & image with pink chair: Lexie Nichols of Loose Rein Photography

Exhibition photo of two large paintings: The University of New Hampshire

Studio Image (with grey couch): Good Carma Photography

All other images: Forrest Elliott