June Forster

June Forster

Aberystwyth, Wales, United Kingdom

About June Forster

I drew and painted from an early age and following an excursion into the world of work and some years studying science, I returned to what I love - painting. I have been lucky enough to travel through the art education system from BA to PhD, always remaining true to my aim, which is to become the best possible painter I can be. I was tutored at one point, before my art school days, by an artist who herself had been tutored by Francis Bacon. This was a turning point for me in understanding the power of paint and how it can affect the viewer of an artwork. Whilst painting there are many decisions to be made - there is no respite from the mental exertion and the hours of thinking; this continues away from the actual work too. Even small works take me a long time but I have a belief that original art is for everyone, not just an elite few, so I continue to produce both small and large pieces. I currently teach a Painting Workshop class at university, where I like to think that some of the more mysterious aspects of painting are investigated and that the students leave the room actually thinking about painting, at least for a while! The title of my PhD Fine Art thesis "Seeking Equivalence: Exploring Dualities in Landscape Painting Practice" reflects my research into landscape experience through the medium of paint. I have also taught painting in China, which was an amazing experience. For many years I have been inspired by the mark-making of eastern painting. Two of my paintings are in the national 'Paintings in Hospitals' collection and it makes me happy to think that these works are making a difference to the lives of others. I am happy to have been invited to exhibit 'Vannin Sound 4' in an exhibition at the School of Art, Aberystwyth, alongside some of my heroes such as Keith Vaughan, Graham Sutherland and Welsh artists Bert Chapman, Ernest Zobole and Gwilym Prichard.

Education:

PhD Fine Art, MA Fine Art (Distinction), BA Fine Art (First Class)

Events:

Saatchi 'Artist of the Day' 27 November, 2015

Exhibitions:

Selected Recent Exhibitions:
November 2017 'Outside In' Aberystwyth University
Summer 2016 Art from the Heart of Wales
Autumn 2014 Shire Hall, Monmouth, group show
Summer 2013 Theatr.Brycheiniog, Brecon, group show
Spring 2012 'Dualities', Aberystwyth University solo show
August 2011, 'The Way of It', Aberystwyth University, joint show