There’s a beauty to the work of M. J. Forster that you don’t come across so often.

I love his dappled hillsides and fine use of controlled water colour.  Born in 1975,

Matthew John Forster did a foundation year at Newcastle College of Art and Design prior to

doing a degree in Sports Science. He continued to paint throughout his degree and later

opened a gallery in Hexham, Northumberland, where his love of the English landscape became

truly apparent. He works using a process called reductionism.  Likened to a sculptural form,

the landscape is put through a rigorous design process until what remains is the very core of a place.

Initially, Forster’s work has a sense of perceived simplicity.  The heightened colour values

are realised by a series of controlled watercolour washes similar to the screen-printing process.

The methodical layering of the separate washes, applied dry on dry, allows the surface to

open up a much broader palette.  Forster likens the work to a sonnet in the sense that they

are created within a restrictive framework and out of that limitation a greater creativity emerges.

Over the past ten years, interest and demand in Forster’s work has grown considerably.

During this time the artist has traveled extensively to develop his watercolour technique.

Over a period of two years he lived, worked and exhibited his paintings in South East Asia,

Mexico, Northern America and Canada eventually reaching the Arctic Circle before spending

an intensive developmental period painting in Otago, New Zealand.

Working Plein Air in these challenging yet inspiring locations has defined the way

the artist has sought to find the very soul of the landscape.

Matthew’s work reminds me of the talented artist from the 50’s Eyvind Earle. I blogged about here.