We were lucky to catch up with Neal Forster recently and have shared our conversation below.

Neal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

I had completed a pet portrait of my son’s chocolate Labrador and was at a coffee morning showing the painting on my tablet to a friend when a friend of the friend saw it over her shoulder and asked me to commission a portrait of her own dog. It was a fantastic feeling to have someone outside my family to appreciate my art work and to want to pay me for painting their pet. After that first commission the same lady was so pleased with the result she commissioned portraits of her grown up son’s dog and then subsequently her grown up daughter’s dog.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I came back to art later in life when I found myself being encouraged to paint after completing family portraits and pet portraits followed by a series of commissions for friends.
I have ten snippets of information to explain where I am at and where I am from.
1 I was born in North East, England.
2 I moved to South Yorkshire as a child and did my schooling there, often being teased for having a strange accent of speech.
3 I turned down attending art school to go out to work and help my single mother by working in a factory making furniture.
4 I joined the Royal Navy and served repairing radio equipment. I found myself completing extra duties painting the toilets on board ship for being naughty and drinking after hours at sea. The extra work brought out my artistic side when I painted smiling sunflowers on the wall of the toilets with a caption of ‘Have a nice day’.
5 I left the Royal Navy after getting married and planning a family, which turned out to be two son’s.

I enjoy painting landscapes and abstract pieces as an aside to portraits, which have been exhibited in Dubai, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. I have been featured in art magazines and sold work at art fairs as-well as on line

6 I joined Derbyshire police as a Constable until being medically retired after an injury and subsequent mistake during a medical procedure.
7 I am unable to work in a normal way due to constant nerve pain and my medication causing drowsiness and extreme tiredness in the afternoons.
8 I completed a Masters degree to occupy my time and subsequently I was mid-way through a PhD when my research group withdrew consent meaning I could not complete.
9 In 2019 I went back to producing art and painting when I am awake and controlling pain.
10 I enjoy the process of developing skills and techniques mostly self taught from classes and online courses about various media painting.

Are you still awake? I know it’s a bit long but I am a bit old.
I hope the above information helps to understand where my art comes from.​ Art therapy is more than just a term; it’s a reality for me. Despite the challenges posed by my disabilities, including pain management, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, I find solace in my studio. Here, using photographs from my daily life and those of friends, I create stunning works of art that not only heal me but resonate with viewers, encouraging them to see the world through my eyes.

With a keen eye for detail and a passion for colour, my art spans a wide spectrum from abstract to representational. This diversity allows my collectors to find pieces that speak to their individual tastes, whether they are drawn to the emotive power of an animal portrait or the interpretative freedom of an abstract composition.

My mission is to inspire and uplift through art. By providing a platform for sharing vibrant, meaningful artwork, I strive to touch lives and foster a deeper appreciation for the transformative power of creativity. I am dedicated to promoting mental health awareness by showcasing the role of art in personal healing and growth.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

When leaving school quite a few years ago I was offered a place at art college but had to go out to work to support the family and although I dabbled over the years with art it is only after my career was finished early due to a life changing injury that I went back to art with some serious application. I now have my own studio in my garden where I spend a large amount of my time during the mornings when I am at my most attentive. I am able to use my right hand fairly well despite having arthritis in the wrist and hand but have nerve damage in the other arm with constant pain and arthritis particularly in knees and ankles. I often joke that I have so many pieces of metal supporting my body that my wife is trying to get a new man bit by bit.

It is the relaxation and pain management that art offers me and a way to assist other sufferers is the mission I would love to share. Having suffered from severe depression and PTSD after my injury I now fully appreciate what depression really means to people. If I can offer empathy and some tools to work with for those with mental health issues and also produce paintings that speak to the viewer I would achieve so much on every level to improve my own wellbeing.

My art has an organic slant penetrating Colour and shape that make you see texture in art and that is what I aim to achieve in my paintings. The use of some bright colour in my art improves my mood and affects my emotions positively. Creating collections of related bodies of work to explore different styles, mediums and subjects building on the organic slant. My use of colour is aimed to trigger your emotions and should lighten your mood to the levels I feel when painting them. As part of my own rehabilitation and to assist others I have donated pet portraits to a couple of dog rescue kennels in the UK and one to Australian Cattle Dog Rescue Association based in California, USA. as raffle prizes. Each of the prize portraits was completed as an A3 size watercolour and posted to the winners after discussions over email.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The time it takes to research and paint most pieces of art is beyond perception for non-creative people. Most people often fail to understand the work of painting as a real job and source of living. I give the analogy of, if someone were to be paying any other tradesperson, would they worry or query about the labour costs being charged per day.

Art is always subjective and what one person loves another would hate. I personally love to get a good likeness of whatever I paint but always want it to be artistic. There is a place for those that produce ultra-realistic pet portraits using coloured pencils or pastels but my viewpoint is that if a person wants the picture to look like a photograph simply take a photograph. Every pet portrait I have been commissioned to produce have had a quirk and have been commented upon that the eyes are clearly showing their character.

Contact Info:

• Website: https;//www.artbynealforster.com
• Instagram: @artbynealforster.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554270296003
• Twitter: @NealForste58795

Image Credits

All art and photography is my own.