About Joe
My Background
Art came naturally from an early age and was consistently where I excelled at school. After leaving in 2003, I trained at The Merseyside Forum for Painting, Sculpture and Allied Crafts in Liverpool, a unique hands-on environment based in the historic Bluecoat Chambers in the former studio of sculptor Tyson Smith.
Rather than following a conventional fine art route, my training was rooted in practical making and traditional craft, covering draughtsmanship, painting, restoration, stone carving, clay modelling, mould making, fresco work and contemporary sculptural techniques using resin and fibreglass.
From there I went into partnership with my brother under the name Forrest Fine Arts, working on commercial commissions for clients including Vodka Revolution and Jamie Carragher's 23 Foundation, before spending several years in graphic, web and logo design.
I returned to fine art as a solo practitioner in 2016, with an early commission for Simon Rimmer's Viking pub in West Kirby, and have been taking on commissions ever since.
That breadth of experience across disciplines continues to shape how I approach every project.
How I Work
Whilst many artists naturally develop a strong visual identity of their own, I’ve always been more drawn to the act of creation itself: the challenge of making, problem-solving, and finding the right techniques to bring an idea to life.
In that sense, I’ve perhaps always been as much a technician as an artist, becoming absorbed in the details, thinking several steps ahead whilst instinctively responding to each mark, brushstroke, and decision as the work evolves.
Clients often ask for themes and concepts I would never think of, and I enjoy hearing their ideas, whether fully formed or loosely imagined. The challenge then becomes interpreting that vision in the most considered way possible, responding to the specific character of the project, the space, the surface and the desired outcome, whether that's visual or emotional. Sometimes that means using traditional approaches; other times it means adapting materials or techniques to suit the unique demands of the brief.
Recent projects and collaborations have taken me across the UK, from Aberdeen to Anglesey and London, and I'm always curious to see what the next brief will bring.
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In May 2025 I wrote a longer piece about my journey as an artist on Substack, please click below to read the full article.
Have an idea in mind?
Whether you have a clear concept or just the beginnings of one, I’d be happy to hear what you’re thinking.
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