Painter based near the Mid Wales coast
One of my paintings that currently hangs in my lounge. I am still learning from the layering and depth of this one. Always good to spend time pondering.
WANDERS THROUGH GERMANY
August/September 2026
Fortunate to voyage to Germany and visit galleries and museums in several cities. I had always wanted to see Caspar David Friedrich’s Monk by the Sea and spent a long time in front of it in an empty gallery. A powerful and meaningful image.
AN IRRESISTIBLE ACQUISITION
Sometimes paintings pull you in and won’t let go. At a PV of an exhibition at MWA, it was lovely to see a whole group of encaustic paintings by artist Junko Burton. They very effectively convey a watery realm but also provide an opportunity to pause and let the world go by.
It was hard to choose just one, but I look forward to hanging it at home, in a place where I can sit and stare.
ON DISPLAY July 2026
Happy to see my small abstracts hanging in MWAC café. In summer, winter seems so far away, but the theme is perhaps secondary to the challenges presented by composition, colour harmony and paint handling during the painting process.
WINTER SHOW
Delighted to be an invited artist featured in Mid Wales Arts Centre’s Winter Show 2025
The wintry subject came about through reading winter haiku before and during the painting process. This was long before we saw the first snow fall! The representational aspect of the work seemed to emerge naturally. I frequently find that it is only once I have made such images that I can then begin the process of abstraction, and even then only if there is something I need to investigate further. Painting is a mysterious activity!
NEW EXHIBITION AT MID WALES ART CENTRE 23 March – 11 May 2025
A new body of work is on display at Mid Wales Arts Centre, Caersws, Powys as part of
Seen: Unseen – What Lies Between, a joint show with artist Junko Burton
The hard part, once the work is unloaded and unwrapped, is deciding on the running order of the paintings. Sometimes, the space will dictate this order, but in this case the permutations were many. Fortunately, Junko has a good eye and Mr F was on hand with hammer and spirit level. We were keen to establish a good visual flow, with no one painting overpowering another. Cathy Knapp-Evans, owner of the venue, also helped in casting her experienced eye over our choices.
The title of the exhibition Seen:Unseen – What Lies Between, alludes to the transformative space between the observed and unobserved, where artists bring into play their creative processes. For this project, I focused on aspects of the landscape of Cors Caron (Tregaron Bog), while Junko pursued her interest in capturing the elusive colours and shapes of moving water in nature.
Once we began the project in autumn, then over winter we made strides with our work, exploring new processes and materials and continually exchanging news of our progress. This has been, for my part, one of the most enjoyable projects I have undertaken so far. Thanks in no small part to Junko. The final hang highlights commonalities in our work as well as our differences in approach.
Instagram: june.forster.3
