Contemporary artist Carla Forrest paints multi-layered, textural works inspired by direct observation of nature and life. Forrest attributes her love of expressionistic mark-making to her undergraduate study of sculpture and modernism. She is a first-generation Ukrainian American who is captivated by the color and value contrasts of contemporary expressionist works.

 

Honored as a Local Treasure by the Albuquerque Arts Business Association, Forrest’s personal artistic mission integrates awareness of environmental conservation, community connectivity, and creativity. Forrest obtained her Bachelor of Arts in studio art from State University of New York, Master of Science in Teaching Visual Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology, and Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies from University of New Mexico. 

 

I approach art as an attentive observer of the soul, seeking to illuminate the presence, wonder, and inherent dignity of nature and life. My work invites viewers to value both place and person within a space of spirit and heart, and to carry that sense of awareness into their own environments. In an increasingly digital world dominated by flattened imagery and diminished physicality, I strive to restore depth, form, and authentic passion.