Who’s that person, busy with her easel and paintbrushes, engrossed in capturing the local landscape… it’s artist Christabel Forbes, who tells Elestr Lee about her passion for painting en plein air
MANY OF the creative people interviewed for this page have long lived here… this month we meet a relative newcomer, artist Christabel Forbes who moved to Caversham a year and a half ago and is thrilled to be getting to know this area.
Christabel, who is half French, half British, has lived and worked in a variety of different countries, so the process of setting down roots must be something of a novelty. But she is convinced her early experiences have helped shaped her as an artist. “I think it has informed my art, as I grew up in both France and in England, with both nationalities, both cultures and being bilingual. I felt I was on the move all the time, but it also meant I liked to find out about how other people live. I have always loved watching the world, and going out and about with my sketchbook, recording what I saw,” Christabel explained.
Becoming an artist was always clear for Christabel. “My mother is an artist, and I was good at both art and languages,” she said. “But while I always loved art, I have tiptoed into lots of areas!”
She did a Foundation course at Falmouth – “I loved it all!” she recalls, then having completed the year, signed up with VSO. She subsequently got a place at the Royal Drawing School, where she practised drawing in lots of different ways, as well as stepping into colour. As an art student in London Christabel had to find ways to be able to afford to live there while studying, so she worked as an au pair and obtained teaching qualifications, getting a job working at the Italian school in London.
“After this I had several residencies in India and the south of France. You don’t always get paid but the trips are funded, and you get somewhere to do your art. In Provence, I helped a couple with an Airbnb to run their art course, and in return I was given some studio space. I was gaining experience, first with the residences, then later I began to take on commissions, as well as working for interior designers.
“Since moving to Caversham, I have been enjoying making pictures of the local scenes around here. I started off wanting to do observational drawings in tranquil locations where I felt comfortable. “I love drawing outside, and I like using
lots of materials, so I bring my pencils and paintbrushes and pigments, and find somewhere to set up my studio,” she said. “However, I don’t want to be the centre of attention – it’s not about me, I want to be the fly on the wall!”
Of course, the famous British weather can be an issue… “I have a raincoat and a special umbrella and carry my materials in a granny trolley!” she explained. “If the weather is bad, it’s quite exciting as you must adapt to the circumstances – and the work comes even more alive.
“Work made in a studio is more of a ‘memory’, imagined – whereas something I have created on location is more ‘true’.”
Since moving to Caversham Christabel has gained her City & Guilds Masters and has recently stopped working in London. “So now I am finally in one place,” she commented. She is loving finding new and unexpected opportunities in the area. “For example, I have discovered the Underwater Hockey Club which takes place at Queen Anne’s School,” she laughed. She also has plans to get involved with local creative groups, as well as to discover the great outdoors – “I would love to walk the Ridgeway!”
Towards the end of last year, she was thrilled to have her work shown at the Caversham Picture Framers, with a solo exhibition. “It was a real success,” she recalled. “I sold quite a few pictures, and it was good experience to give a talk. Having only recently moved to Caversham, and being so new, I felt a bit daunted, but in fact lots of people came, and it was lovely to have a new crowd to meet and be able to sell my work to new clients.”
As we head into spring Christabel is looking forward to getting outside, exploring – “and let’s see where my drawing takes me!” she added.
One new idea which is inspiring her is to use materials which have less impact on the environment. “Art is very consumerist,” she commented. “I want to find out more about using natural dyes for pigment, using local materials. I am already experimenting with ‘egg tempera’ which is an old technique of using egg to fix and bind pigments. I am using this in a playful way, as it helps make my colours shiny. I want to see if I can use this to replace the usual binding agents, which can be toxic.
“But as well as experimenting with these new ideas, my passion remains in creating my landscapes.”
Find out more: christabelforbes.com
westdean.ac.uk/tutors/christabel-forbes
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